Space Quest

by

MichelleA

  

CHAPTER TWO

  

"Yeoman." Shouted the Admiral. "Send this message, Highest Priority."

"Ready to copy Admiral." Responded the yeoman.

"From: CFPHQ Admiral Howe

To: C.O. FPS Winston

Subject: Survivors

Proceed with all haste to CFPHQ. All survivors are to accompany FPS Winston's return. Delay any further questioning of survivors.

CFPHQ Admiral Howe

End message

*

The unmanned message drones returned the Admiral's reply in just over a week. The next day the children and I were settled into the sick bay of the Winston with the mess deck available as a playroom between meals. The mess deck is usually a popular after hours place to be. Room to relax; listen to your own music privately, a place to write letters or to read. With the addition of the children it became a madhouse. The girls were all over the place. The entire crew informally adopted the girls. The crewmen were all vying for the attention of each and every one. Just the fact of being the lone survivors would have been a sufficient excuse. To add to the attraction for the crew was their currant deployment. The men and women had been away from home for an extended period of time. They were missing their families, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters. Playing with the girls eased some of the loneliness caused by long separations.

The trip to meet with the Admiral took almost four weeks. Even though I still had the 3 girls I was breast-feeding, I could better synchronize my schedule to theirs. In addition, with a balanced nutritious diet and supplements I had more energy so that I could pay more attention to the rest of the girls. The crew gave me a much-needed rest from the girls also. I had decided that the girl's new birthday would be on the day they were removed from the chamber. On that basis Tennille turned one year old since she had originally regressed to 8 months. We had a small party for her in the ships mess deck. The girls turned it into a messy deck. I also started to wean Tennille.

**

With an easing of the constant pressure of caring for the girls I could take a more active interest in all the girls individually. I still had to make my appearance to all the girls but as long as they could see me, most of their needs could be taken care of by others. The one thing that hadn't changed was our sleeping arrangements. Some of the crew, On Watch at night, described our sleeping arrangement to be more like a beehive with me being the Queen Bee. They said that there was a constant shifting of girls around me. I immediately threatened mayhem if I heard any reference to royalty, like The Queen or Her Majesty.

As my energy and weight returned back toward normal, I began to take an interest in my appearance. In fact, after spending time with the crew I began to make a few friends. Among the girls at least I was. I still had to watch myself around the guys. I had to refrain from trying to be 'One of the Guys'.

Eventually we arrived at the Fleet Patrol Head Quarters on Ringold 5. By local time it was early evening. The ferry trip down to the planet surface had to be scheduled. When we were first picked up on Sigma 7, we were all asleep, comatose or in general unaware of our surroundings. With food, rest and time to relax, the girls could not stand for me to be out of their sight for more than a short period of time. By waiting for the little ones to fall asleep, I could send them down ahead and escort the bigger girls myself.

We were assigned quarters in the female enlisted barracks. This was satisfactory when coupled with the fact that many of my new friends would also be staying there when planet side. We actually had four rooms adjoining a common lounge area. With the mattresses on the floor and all the room doors open we managed. Bright and early at noon, with all my motherly duties fulfilled several of my new friends descended with food clothes and accessories. While I was made presentable to the Admiral, the rest began preparing the girls. There was no way that I could go anywhere without my being within their hearing.

Then the preparations took too long. It was time for another feeding. I'll just explain to the Admiral that it is a woman's prerogative to be late. With everyone washed, dried, powdered and dressed in new clothes we were on our way. As I left the barracks it suddenly occurred to me about transporting this many kids. My friends were ahead of me. There waiting at the curb was a bus with enough room for all the girls and their escorts. Luckily it was only a short ride to the Admin Building. It was only a short wait to see the Admiral.

"Mrs. Owens," interrupted the receptionist, "the Admiral will see you now."

"Thank you." I replied following the receptionist toward the Admiral's office.

"Admiral." She began the introduction. "This is Mrs. Owens and you can hear her contingent."

"I'm happy to meet you at last Mrs. Owens." Stated the Admiral as he stood and came around his desk to shake my hand. "You have had quite an ordeal, and from the sounds of it, it's not over yet. I have had extensive reports on what they found on Sigma 7, but I would like to hear your firsthand report. Then there is your request to see me using phrasing that could only come from Mark Owens. Since you have the same last name, can I assume that you are some relation to him?"

"Before I begin my story Admiral, there are some arrangements that have to be made." I began. "This story is for your ears only Admiral, however, my girls won't let me out of their sight or hearing. I must resolve that problem before I will continue."

"There is an interrogation room that has a glass window." Offered the Admiral. "It is sound proof but they will be able to see you. I'll have everything arranged in a few minutes." With that said he left to have his receptionist make the necessary arrangements. Shortly we were escorted down a hall to the interrogation room.

The room had been set up so that we could turn the microphones and speakers off in either or both rooms. With the girls able to see me they were content to play with their escorts.

"I hope this will meet your needs for privacy, Mrs. Owens." Began the Admiral. "Now please tell me your story and how it relates to Mark Owens. I haven't had any word about him for about 2-3 years now."

"Sit down Admiral." I warned. "It's a long story. To begin Admiral, I AM or at least WAS Mark Owens." This produced some definite sputtering. When he stopped sounding like a motorboat I continued. I began my tale from the day I left his office almost 3 years before. As I progressed, he asked probing questions digging for details that I had forgotten. I read the emotional roller coaster that he was on as I related each event. When I reached the incident where an obvious Patrol ship transferred missiles to a pirate ship, the Admiral had a fit. I delayed my story while he investigated the hull number and partial name.

While waiting for the Admiral to finish, I was informed that the girls were getting hungry. I had Lisa, Grace and Tennille brought into the interrogation room so that I could feed them. Meanwhile a couple of our helpers went out for food for everyone. I had finished Lisa and had Grace feeding under a blanket when the Admiral returned.

As he walked into the room he was muttering vile epitaphs concerning a certain crew and what kind of hell he would send them too. Stopping partway into the room he stopped. "Would you like to delay this until later?" Inquired the Admiral, as he understood what I was doing.

"No Sir." I declined. "No matter when we continue the briefing, they will have to be feed sometime during it. We might as well finish this as soon as possible. Admiral, I doubt that the entire crew is aware of what is happening on that ship."

"OH?" Questioned the Admiral. "What makes you say that?"

"During the transfer, there was only two men that could see our ship from the loading bay." I explained. "The Captain and Senior Officers, the Comm department, Senior Ordnance and Weapons department heads and select ordnance people. There may be more than that and some may suspect but they can't prove anything."

"Yes you're right," assented the Admiral, 'it just burns me to have some of my people do this."

"This might help then Admiral." I offered. "I just remembered the production date and partial serial numbers to those two Bo Weevils. When are they scheduled to have their next Ordnance or Readiness Inspection?"

"Yes you're right." Sighed the Admiral. "Excuse me while I get my Staff started on this. I'm going to take this slow and easy and hang them all by their…Oh excuse me."

"Admiral, just a thought before you leave." I offered.

"Yes?" He paused.

"Is it possible that a lawyer for the Captain of that Patrol ship could twist what actually happened? For example: My client transferred those missiles (obsolete training missiles) with no payment so that the independent freighter crew (pirates) could help to defend a defenseless planet against terrible odds, losing their lives in the process. (No witnesses)

"You have a point." Concurred the Admiral. "It's not a strong argument but it is something that I need to pass through legal to make sure all our bases are covered when we drop the hammer on them. Thank you for the thought."

With that he left the room again. I had time to finish with both Grace and Tennille by the time he returned. I had also had the other girls lay down for naps. What a blessing 'Quiet Time' is.

The Admiral returned with a grime smile on his face ready to continue. I continued to describe the chain of events leading to our confrontation with the other pirate ship. As I described my pattern of Jammers, stealth drones and Bo Weevil deployment the Admiral just smiled.

"You got them you know." Stated the Admiral.

"What? Who? When?" I stammered. The blond roots were starting to sink in.

"I don't have a detailed report yet,' commented the Admiral, "but your pattern of deception allowed both of the Bo Weevils to hit. You took out their drive system and their primary life support. They were all dead by the time we found their floating hulk. Nasty way to go, but I couldn't wish it on a nastier group of people."

When I got to the part where almost all the pirates had made it safely off the ship before it was destroyed, I had to quiet him and let me finish before he said anything. I could see the intense interest as I related how I was burned and put in the MedRejuv for my burns only to have the settings change so that I could nurse Lisa. When I described the attempted rape he was unable to sit down and began pacing. A satisfied grunt welcomed my final twist of the scalpel. My final solution to my dilemma of 26 pirates brought gales of booming laughter. Enough so that I had to leave and calm the girls awakening from their naps.

It was only a short tale to finish. With my inability to satisfy the investigator, I finally resorted to using the Admiral to cut off his incessant questions. The Admiral sat in his chair deep in thought for what seemed an hour but was more likely fifteen minutes instead.

He finally spoke almost to himself. "You know we have a problem here? Don't you?"

"You mean the girls?" I inquired. "I'll just bring them to Mander III, find adoptive parents, go find a MedRejuv machine and come back as Mark."

"I guess you haven't seen the VID reports recently, have you, Mark?" Inquired the Admiral.

The Admiral's question made me nervous. My nervousness must have been conveyed to the three little bundles next to me as they started to squirm in their sleep.

"What have I missed, Admiral? I asked tremulously.

"Wait here, I'll get you the latest reports." Offered the Admiral. With that he again left the room in search of his receptionist. He returned a few minutes later with a viewer in hand followed by the receptionist with several disks in hand.

The first disk showed a scene of destruction. I recognized it as Sigma 7. The reporter's talk over describes this as the remains of a bustling city of 50,000 people. The next scene is of the destroyed Adventurer. The inane chatter of the reporter talks of the heroic defense by the people on the planet that finally destroyed one of its attackers. Finally it pans to the hospital where the rescuers were carrying some of the girls and myself to the waiting Lander for transportation to the ship. The voice over rambles on about the heroic effort by an unknown woman to defend herself and 27 children from the ravages of the pirates. I was starting to get sick of the word heroic already.

The next disk is an interview of the Captain of one of the Patrol relief ships. They are using the same video as the previous one only as a backdrop this time. As the interview progresses they start asking questions about the mysterious woman and all the children. The Captain's response is to show them a small pile of papers that were found with me. The Captain responds that the woman has only been able to identify herself as Marcia Owens.

The Captain then picks up an ID card and reads my name. These papers were found on this young woman and since they both have the same last name we are presuming at this time that she is a relative of Mister Owens. Since she is breast-feeding three of the children, we assume that she is the mother of at least one and perhaps more. She may be the wife of this Marks Owens and one or more of these children could also be his. I almost fainted at this news. The reporters and especially the Captain should be drawn and quartered, immediately!

The last disk showed the same backdrop. This time they were talking to childcare specialist. She was explaining the optimum number of caregivers for any given age group of children. Her conclusion was that I couldn't have possibly taken care of all of them by myself. They then switch to a view I easily recognized as Mander III. It then switched to a close up of my sister Sally. She was alive. I fainted then.

I awoke to a mad house. When I fainted the girls all went crazy seeing Momma fall down. I was finally able to calm them all down and talked them into taking a nap with Momma. As I lay down with the girls my mind was awhirl with thought of my sister being alive. ALIVE. ALIVE. ALIVE. ALIVE, AS IN NOT DEAD. I thought that I was too keyed up to fall asleep with the girls. I was awakened by Lisa's cries and Grace was beginning to squirm in her sleep. Tennille was happily playing with my hair while sucking her thumb. It had been a long day and it still wasn't over yet.

With Lisa and Grace's hunger satisfied, I used the bathroom to freshen up and made my way back to the Admiral's office.

"I sorry for all the…the…" I was at a loss to describe what had just happened.

"No apologies are necessary." Interrupted the Admiral. "You have fought pirates and destroyed their ship, been burned over most of your body, involuntarily transformed into a woman, fought off a rape attempt and killed the attacker. You've transformed an entire pirate band into children, saved a life of an innocent child, fed, clothed, and cared for 27 children. You're malnourished, dehydrated, exhausted and are still caring for all those kids. After all that, you apologize when you faint after hearing the surprise news that your sister is still alive. It is I that must apologize. I didn't realize that they had interviewed your sister and was also unaware that the last disk had that interview. I was going to tell you of that good news after the disks were finished."

"Admiral, you mentioned that we had some problems." I said changing the subject away from me.

"First off, there were rewards for the capture or death of both pirate bands." Began the Admiral. "You were instrumental in the demise of both groups. As I see it. With the exception of Lisa, the other girls have a share in the demise of the other pirates since it was their ship that launched the missiles. Lisa is not to be left out. You and all the girls are now the sole survivors of Sigma 7 and therefore sole owners. There are several groups fighting over who is going to purchase it. Despite all the destruction, there is still a lot that is salvageable there. Not to mention infrastructure and mineral rights that are still there."

"Lisa is the only true survivor, Admiral." I objected. "The pirates shouldn't benefit from their crimes."

"Marcia, listen to me." Sighed the Admiral. "Your little band destroyed the pirates that destroyed Sigma 7. They are not being rewarded for their actions on Mander III but what they did at Sigma 7. You've set their punishment for Mander III and any other crimes they have ever committed. Lisa as you say is the sole survivor of Sigma 7 but that is the rub. Are you willing to go before the Vids and proclaim to the galaxy that you were a man and all these girls were once pirates? What happens to their lives then? They have already been stripped of everything. Do you want to brand them for the rest of their new lives?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead, Admiral." I conceded. "I haven't had much time to think about anything really. So far I have just reacted to what was necessary with little thought of the possible consequences."

"How long have they been calling you Momma?" Inquired the Admiral.

"It started sometime shortly after we were rescued." I sighed. "The bigger girls all of a sudden started to call me Momma when they referred to me. The smaller ones then started to follow their example. I think it was some mischief that those 6 little vixens thought up."

"Well," laughed the Admiral, "that goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished."

"That's OK," I laughed, "I started them on a beginning self-study program, three times a day and for one hour each session. They hardly talked to me for at least a day after that."

"Now we must talk about your sister." Began the Admiral. "Are you going to tell her or let her think that you are dead? She is on her way here from Mander III as we speak."

"I don't know Admiral." I hedged. "I never even considered that any of my family was still alive. I hadn't even remotely thought that I would have to tell them. What should I tell her about the girls, if I even tell her about the girls past? I couldn't think of endangering their future happiness. If anyone found out about them, even by accident, they could be devastated. Some won't be able to get beyond the fact that they were once pirates. I can't allow that to happen."

"Even if it means that your own sister must think that you are dead? Asked the Admiral.

"The entire galaxy must think that Mark Owens is dead." I said with determination. "Mark Owens is dead. He can never return. If he does, he risks the future of the girls. I will risk anything, do anything for their future welfare."

"You have already shown that willingness." Commented the Admiral. "You could just as easily have told the entire truth to the Investigating Officer on Sigma 7. You could have been returned to being a male if not your true form eventually. Yet you chose to look after the welfare of the girls first and last. I am very proud of you. You have always presented the attitude that we have been trying to instill into the Patrol since it inception."

All I could do is blush. Would I blush if I were still a man?

"Back to the original question," said the Admiral, "what are you going to tell your sister? Next, will she believe it? You will have to live whatever story you tell her. You may need her help more than you could ever possibly think."

That night I tried to think up and rehearse a believable story. How do you come up with a complete life story in only a few days? Then how do you remember all the details that you have come up with? Consistently.

We were living on the Patrol base since we were all still undergoing tests and exams to make sure that there were no long lasting medical problems. This also helped control the Vids access to the girls and myself. The Admiral had informed me of the efforts that they were using to gain access to the base. All their attempts were to no avail so far. I would soon have to face them with a story. Today my sister's ship was arriving. Could I go through with my plan? Or would I breakdown and admit all? No I can't, that could harm the girls. What a seesaw I was on.

The Admiral had agreed to allow me to use the interrogation room so that I could meet my sister and have the girls in the next room. I had some time so that I was feeding the girls and getting them set for a nap. The big girls wanted a story before naptime so I told them one of my all time childhood favorites. With the girls feed and all asleep, I went over to the next room only to find my sister waiting for me. It was obvious from her expression that she had been watching me through the glass for a long time.

"Mark? She hesitantly asked.

"Well, Marcia now actually." I agreed. No sense denying it now. She knew somehow.

"Were you afraid to face everyone just because they made a mistake on Mander III and made you a woman?" She demanded. "Did you think your family would shun you? We can sue that facility…"

"No, Sally!" I almost shouted. "You are all WRONG!"

Sally's mouth moved but nothing came out.

"Sally, just sit and listen, please." I pleaded with my whole being. "During the attack on Mander III, I watched the blasts and flares hit directly where we lived. When I had recovered, they said that they couldn't find any identifiable bodies due to the blast and heat effects. That included yours. You were all listed as missing. I went to all of our houses and there was nothing left. I had no doubt that you and everyone else was dead. With everyone gone, I had no reason to stay. The only thing that the MedRejuv did to me on Mander III was to give me a fine hairless skin. Nothing more. How did you survive? You should have been home."

"I was." Sally assented. "I had just dived into the pool to cool off. The next thing I know, I'm in the hospital. I have no identification. I was in shock, hysterical and usually under sedation. By the time I was well enough to clearly identify myself, you were gone. I went to the house and understood what had happened. The blast caught the end of the pool that was on the down hill side. The force of the blast tore that side of the pool off. I was washed down the hill as the pool emptied and was found about a block away. The rescuers just assumed that I was from one of the 2-3 nearby houses."

"If the MedRejuv on Mander III didn't do this then please Bro…Sister mine explain. You looked so natural in there with the children."

I began my story with my return home. I related my search for the pirates as well as my drinking in despair. My elation at finding the pirates at last and my confusion as to how I would finally bring them to justice. Then I continued on to relate the fight at Sigma 7 and the all to visible results. I could sense the building resentment towards the girls. I had to put a stop to that before she could express herself and only make things worse if not impossible to recover from.

"Sally, before you say or do anything, come to the next room and meet MY GIRLS." I pleaded. It had taken quite a while to relate my story to Sally. As we entered the room, I could see little eyes peeking through long lashes. While not everyone was awake, I knew that they would soon all be up.

Going to the middle of the room I clapped my hands and said, "listen up girls. I want you to meet someone. Girls, bring Lisa, Grace and Tennille to me, please."

"Yes, Momma." Came several replies at once. They all began to gather around Sally and I. Some were rubbing sleep filled eyes trying to finish waking up.

"Girls, this is my sister, your Aunt Sally." I started my introductions. "I missed her very much while we were gone. You will obey her just as you obey me. No, you had better obey her better than you obey me. OR ELSE." I then proceeded to introduce each girl individually. I started with Lisa, Grace and Tennille and then on up the age groups. As Sally was saying hello to each one, little Amy climbed onto Sally's lap. Amy hugged here new aunt, snuggled up close to her and went back to sleep calmly sucking her thumb. The look on Sally's face told me that the girls had just won another heart. I remembered that Sally hadn't had any children of her own before the attack. I think the girls were starting to fill a void in Sally.

We played for a while and then moved over to our quarters. Sally was to move into a room down the hall. A couple of my friends were off duty and promised to watch the girls while Sally and I became reacquainted. We showed the girls which room that I would be in to calm their fears. Their fear of abandonment had eased slightly during daylight hours but was still very strong at night.

We carried Sally's bags to her room and began unpacking. As we chatted and put her things away, I caught her watching me.

"OK, What?" I asked.

"Well, don't misunderstand me." Sally hedged. "You're definitely a female. No one can deny that looking at you."

"I can hear the BUT coming, what is it?" I questioned.

"You look anorexic, but that isn't it." She commented. "Well, you still move like a man. Clomping around like you had lead feet. No grace of movement."

"Naturally." I retorted. "Grace is asleep next door."

"You, you…" sputtered Sally. Then the tickle match started. I had to surrender first. I wasn't used to this new more sensitive body. At least I wasn't prepared yet to endure tickling matches. There would be a rematch in the future.

"My new little sister," began Sally as we calmed down.

"Hey, I'm older than you." I cut her off.

"Look at you and tell me that." Scoffed Sally. "You look no more than about 22. No one will ever believe that you're older. Even if they did: if they tried to find your birth certificate then the cat would be out of the bag for sure."

"You're right of course." I acknowledged. "From watching those Vids, they think that I was married to Mark. If I leave them with that idea, then it won't look that odd for us to go to Mander III with you."

"Sally," I asked seriously, "how are you really taking this. You arrive here and find out that your brother is now a woman."

"It hasn't been easy," Sally slowly replied. "Despite all that, it is infinitely better to discover that than to go through the rest of my life with no family at all. I had lost interest in everything until the report came that your wife was found on Sigma 7. I had even considered suicide once but something stopped me. I had to meet this person that had married my brother. Maybe I could find hope in her. To go from despair with no family to finding out that my brother was still alive was a miracle. The minor details of my brother being my sister now and the mother of 27, that's a piece of cake."

"Liar." I asserted.

"Well, it is a lot to take in all at once," she agreed. "I can accept it. I even think we can make it fun." Then in Simon Lagree's oily voice, Sally said, "Trust Me."

"I couldn't be in better hands." I solemnly said. "I love you, Sis."

"I love you too." Responded Sally and we hugged for a long time as tears flowed freely.

We were interrupted by a commotion at the door. I opened it to find several upturned face looking lost. "We got lonely, Mamma." Julie said from the crowd. "Can we come in with you?"

"Better yet, Julie." I answered. "We are all going back to our room and have fun. Auntie thinks I need training to be more feminine. If I need it so do you girls. Let's go."

"In that case I need to bring some things with me." Called Sally as she reentered her room.

The rest of us girls returned to our room. A few minutes later, Sally entered with her makeup bag and other essentials. So began the girls and my first lessons on makeup and other tips from Sally.

 

Note: This appears to be a good place to add my comments here. By the way this is Mark/Marcia's sister Sally. When I came out of my coma and was finally told about the attack, I was told that my brother had survived but had to be treated in the MedRejuv Chamber. There had been a mistake but it was hushed up and no one knew the extent of the mistake. I was also told that Mark had gone off in search of the Pirates without the knowledge that I was alive.

As close as we can determine, I had just completed a dive into our pool when the attack hit. My house was on a hill; the blast tore the downhill side of the pool off washing me down the hill and into one of the houses below. When I was discovered, the rescuers thought that I was a tenant of the house that I was discovered in and I was therefore misidentified. That mistake was not discovered until several days after I had awakened from my coma. Due to this mistake Mark was never informed of my survival.

I knew that I had to continue even during the days I wanted to end it all. I knew that one day Mark would at least visit and I had to be here then. Mark had settled all the affairs of our family, however my husbands family was also destroyed. I settled those affairs and was left well off even without the share of our parent's estate. The final settlement of both estates took over a year due to the devastation and the need to locate all available Legal Records, Wills and Heirs.

The population in general was decimated, but the male population was hit the worst. They were searching for volunteers to help keep the economy and City Government operating. I had already purchased a house but needed to keep occupied. I started by volunteering for civic duties and eventually was elected to the City Council. The City Council turned out to be more of a debating society than a useful body. Instead of trying to help the people many were more interested in petty squabbles.

Three years after the attack, the Vids covering the horrible attack on Sigma 7 they implied that one of the survivors was the wife of Mark. At first I couldn't believe that it could be my Mark until they showed his ID card. They then said that the survivors were being evacuated to Dupres 7 for medical treatment. I knew that I had to go there and meet my sister in law. When I arrived at Patrol Headquarters I was directed to the Conference room. While passing a nearby doorway I overheard a story from my childhood. The only other person that could possibly know that story was Mark. As I peered inside I saw the woman identified as Mark's wife. As she spoke and moved her actions were those of Mark. That meant to me that the horrible mistake by Sigma 7's MedRejuv Operator had turned Mark into a woman. I thought, 'That is why he must have left so suddenly, he couldn't face his friends or family'.

 

It seemed all to soon that we were all given a clean bill of health and new identification papers to replace the ones destroyed on Sigma 7. It was time to face the Vids and go home. Sally now considered me capable of preparing myself for the public with only 3 or 4 hours of her help. She chose clothes and makeup that accentuated my thin and still partially emaciated figure. I demanded that there be a maximum of 5 reporters and Vids crews present. In addition, access to the girls was limited to controlled long distance shots while they played outside. I would oversee the editing and that they would receive only the edited version.

They didn't like it but I refused to even consider any counter offers. They eventually picked the allowed number of people somehow. I wasn't concerned how they worked.

The interview was as draining as I thought it would be. Constant questions that shouldn't have been asked in the first place. I ignored these. The same questions were repeated over and over in different ways. I kept to my story. I gave them my edited version of events providing just enough gore to satisfy their blood lust. I played up the plight of the girls and how they were just as responsible for their survival as I was. Now it was time to go home and live in peace and raise the girls. What a dreamer I had become.

The circus wasn't over with the airing of the Vids interview and the views of the kids. They followed with programs speculating on the value of Sigma 7. Then came the speculation of the net worth of each of the girls as sole survivors and owners of the planet. The projected new route via Sigma 7 to the recently discovered heavy metal asteroids on Lorgan.

Next came the lawyers with offers for the planet and all rights for fantastic but still ridiculously low amounts. Amid that came the claims of family relationships to many of the girls. Of course they wanted to take their dear long lost cousins and ALL their money. Papers purporting to show the alleged ancestry of the girls were turned over to the Admiral for investigation of fraud and chicanery. After a long discussion with the Admiral, I hired the leading law firm (Winslow and Hayes) that handled interplanetary law. Directing them to define my position in regard to Sigma 7, file any papers necessary in my behalf, interface with any potential buyers or settlers to Sigma 7, ward off any attempts to claim Sigma 7 or my girls and their money and control the salvage recovery operations at Sigma 7 and its limits into space. During it all I had a nagging feeling that something was missing.

After racking my brains all day trying to figure out what was missing, I finally fell asleep. It came to me in the middle of the night. It was supposed to be Tennille's birthday. The next day I told Sally and we organized a big birthday bash for Tennille.

****

We finally made our move to Mander III after many sad farewells to the Admiral and many new friends. I think our tears exceeded the annual rainfall of many desert areas.

*****

My return to Mander III brought many mixed emotions. What I didn't expect was the widespread devastation that still existed. I soon learned that with the leading families dead, much of the leadership and drive was missing. The insurance companies were dragging their feet paying legal claims and business couldn't rebuild without the capital that those claims represented. Everyone was at a loss as to where to begin. Even the destroyed Patrol base really fell under the responsibility of the planet to rebuild, although primarily fulltime Patrol personnel would provide manning.

Sally had bought a house for her own needs after the attack. From her description, I didn't need to see it to decide it was inadequate. We purchased an older home on the edge of the destroyed area. The owner was the wife of the former Mayor and was moving away to be with other relatives. Shortly after we moved into our new house Grace turned one and we again had a small party. Tennille was now on a bottle full time and I began to wean Grace.

Soon after I arrived, I went to Blair, Blair and Dinks a firm that had represented my family for years. I brought in the papers that the Admiral had made to show that I was now the wife and heir to my own accounts. With their acceptance of my identity I then went on to present my claim to my financial holdings.

When I met with the banker Jacob Wilcox I was shocked. The bank that I did business with was up for sale with no takers so far. The former Operations manager was in charge of the liquidation. The owner, the board of directors, the President and three Vice Presidents were all deceased. With no direction, no supervision, and few heirs, the bank was in trusteeship looking for a buyer. For three years there had been no offers. Jacob expressed the fear that the banks main competitor was discouraging potential buyers. I left the meeting concerned and upset that people would and could play with peoples lives this way.

Since we had arrived, transportation had become a problem. Trying to move around with all the girls was almost impossible. It ended up that either Sally or myself could go out with a few girls at a time. That was intolerable. I looked around for a solution and finally decided upon a city bus.

The city no longer could utilize the entire fleet of bus's they had. I was able to buy one fairly cheap and had it remodeled for our needs. The most drastic change was the installation of two bathrooms and a changing room in the back. It would take a few weeks for completion but it would be worth it.

Sally and I discussed the various problems that Mander III had to face long into the night. For several days this continued. We had our lawyer investigate the planets financial status, its viability, assets and liabilities. From every indicator, it should be thriving. There was no one in control to give direction and long range planning. When it came time for us to decide if it was advisable for us to buy the bank, Sally admitted that her arguments against acquisition were simply her way of playing devil's advocate. She was in favor of the purchase as soon as she heard about the situation but wanted us to be a little bit cautious.

Proof of ownership to Sigma 7 showed up after several weeks. I was listed as co-owner and guardian of the other co-owners. As private property all access to the planet and surrounding space was by my permission only. My representative made all the proper postings. In addition, anyone claiming personal property had 90 days to notify my representative of the nature and value of any property and 6 months to claim and remove said property.

******

Unlike Tennille's birthday, Sally and I both remembered Grace's. We had time to decorate the house and buy new clothes for all the girls. It was another success.

Sally had been on the City Council for over a year by now. She was trying to bring some order out of the chaos that remained. Council meetings were held with no viable solutions. Our family's influence still held some sway. A minor influence on the council was Sylvia Von Escher. She seemed determined to profit from her council by whatever means possible. She had found one or two cronies on the council. As it turned out, she was the owner of the bank that stood to gain if my bank had failed to find a buyer. My purchase showed that I would be a person of influence soon and was asked to join the council. Through Sally I discovered how bitterly opposed Sylvia was to my seating at the council table. I graciously declined stressing the on going needs of my little family. However, I assured the council that I would attend and voice my opinion as often as I was able.

About 3 months after our return to Mander III the surveyor's analysis of Sigma 7 came back. There assessment of the damage said that there was total destruction with nothing salvageable. Their liability statement claimed that since it was an act of piracy, no insurance company had any liability at all. This was signed and confirmed by the Senior Patrol Officer assigned to the Sigma 7 area.

*******

All I could see was red. I was so upset that I couldn't sleep for three days. Sally called in a physician to knock me out and to settle the girls. They were frightened and couldn't understand why Momma was so strange.

Note: Marcia was so upset from the report that she was scaring the girls. Not only was Marcia not sleeping but also the girls were starting to have nightmares. The girls awoke crying at night and spent the better part of the day crying and bewildered by 'Momma's' actions. Sometimes we even found one of them curled up into the fetal position. I had to do something drastic quickly to avert a major disaster.

I awoke from the sedative as twilight was approaching. I lay in the dark thinking about the past when I was struck between the eyes by the obvious. What were the pirates after on Sigma 7? They destroyed almost everything yet left with nothing. They must have planned to return after we had gone. Since nothing has been removed from the planet, after all the Patrol is on guard, then 'It' must still be there. If 'It' is still there, then why wasn't it on the list? Since 'It' wasn't on the list, was it left off intentionally? Did the Senior Patrol Officer know? Was he being paid off or just unaware? If this 'Something' was so valuable, where was the protection for it? Could the insurance company be responsible for the destruction on Sigma 7 because they hadn't provided enough protection to this 'Something'? Who or what entity is responsible for this disaster? How did the pirates find out about this thing? I was tired and fell asleep thinking these thoughts.

In the morning I talked with Sally about my revelations. She listened carefully and then sternly said, "I agree with everything you have said. However before you do another thing, you get your butt into the girl's rooms and make up. They've been hysterical because of the way you've been acting. Now git."

She was right as usual. I spent the next several days playing with the girls and anything they wanted to do. I was still feeling a little out of sorts but couldn't pin it down to anything specific. Still tired I guess. By now Tennille was weaned and Grace was soon to follow. With my currant train of thought I was starting on a mental list of new prospect though. Then the cramping started. Now I knew why I felt so bad. "Sally!!! Don't you dare laugh at me!"

The school hadn't reopened yet so the girls were studying at home. We had hired a couple of teachers to assess their standing and prepare them for their eventual entry into a formal school. We also had several helpers to do the 1001 things that a home with this many children required. Two of the helpers also had licenses to drive our recently finished bus.

The next day I played with them until their tutors arrived. I waited until they were settled in and began to feed Lisa. I had feed Grace and Tennille earlier with bottles. Seeing that they were occupied for a few hours and that all three girls were full, I set about trying to discover the answers to my questions.

The Patrol had come through with their reward, silently, of course. They loudly proclaimed the demise of both groups while still not claiming any undue credit for themselves. They cited unnamed assistance for this coup. Preferring to make any other pirate group wary and concerned as to how they had been disposed of. The story of a fight between the two groups was on the street but so were hundreds of other stories. Most were laughably impossible but some had more than a grain of plausibility. All of them were wrong.

My first message was to the Admiral. I requested that he visit me at the soonest convenient time to discuss the possible addition of one or more girls to my little family. I knew he would become curious since he knew how I had obtained my daughters.

I then visited my lawyer Samuel Blair Jr. to ensure the future well being of Sally and the girls no matter what happened to me. I also requested that he investigate who benefited from the decision that there was no liability, for any insurance company, on Sigma 7. Since my arrival I had received bills for ongoing recovery operations on Sigma 7. I set up an account with my lawyer to handle future bills. I specifically refused to allow any activity not directly related to the recovery and burial of the dead. I also wanted to know the talk on the street about what the real target was on Sigma 7. I knew that this last was going to be an unsavory task and would need money to lubricate some lips. I told him: "I didn't care about the cost, I want that information, yesterday!"

Looking around the area I discovered that with so many of the leaders gone, there was no one to just say 'yes do it' at the right time. Everything was stagnating for lack of vision. After a nightlong discussion with Sally, I began to buy businesses that lacked a head but was still otherwise viable in the marketplace. I found two good buys, a commercial construction company and an electronics company specializing in long-range communications technology. With Jacobs help, I was able to negotiate deals that both sides were happy with. More importantly Jacob knew how to structure the purchase and maintain a balance between liquid assets and long-term investments.

Through my new construction company, I offered to rebuild any government structure at cost. At a subsequent meeting the city council first debated the issue of which city building needed repair and their priority. Then they searched for a way to raise the necessary money for building repair. Sally suggested selling bonds to raise money. Of course, I was the principle purchaser. Through the bank, I was able to offer both individual and business loans in what previously had been a tight money market. Mainly money had been short for want of anybody to make a decision in both banking and business.

********

By the time these things were starting to roll, the Admiral arrived. As he was ushered into the parlor, he greeted us. "Marcia, you look lovely tonight. Your skin has picked up a rosy glow since last I saw you. I can still see some tiredness around the eyes, but that too is fading. Sally, as lovely as a picture. You have really taken the rough edges off our jewel. How are the girls?"

"Admiral, you can still charm the fuzz off the peaches." I greeted him. "We have been in fine health and the girls are growing like weeds. Lisa is walking now and is almost impossible to keep track of at times."

"As interesting as this all is and despite dying to hear it all, this isn't why you sent for me, is it?" Interrupted the Admiral.

"No it's not Admiral." I seriously replied. "You are always welcome in our home. I'm just sad it took this to entice you here. I know that in your position, all you get to read is a summary of every report that is sent in." The Admiral nodded his assent. "I also know that while you know almost everyone in the Patrol, many are little more than names on the roster. So that when you get a report it is little more than mission complete or just a short progress report. I doubt that you ever get to see the civilian side of these reports. That is why I have requested your presence in an unusual way. I knew that my reference to adding a daughter would carry the seriousness of my request without drawing undue attention to your visit. I would like you to read the salvagers report from Sigma 7 and then you can ask questions or just tell me what you think. I have some questions that I can't answer and I want to share them with you. Maybe you can fill in some blanks."

"Admiral, why don't you use the Den?" I suggested. "If the girls come in they won't bother you until you have finished.

I showed the Admiral into the Den and brought him a drink as he started to read. He finished about an hour later. Walking into the parlor he asked. "I can see that this report is inaccurate in many details." Commented the Admiral. "Some are details that I can tell from your accounts and some are from my memory of the Vids accounts. However, I don't yet see what has made you so obviously upset."

"Fair enough, Admiral." I agreed. "That is why I ordered copies of all the Vids shot on Sigma 7. To save time I have edited them. I also have all the originals if you want to verify or expand on any shot. Watch this." As the Vids ran I pointed out various locations that had lesser damage than was reported. At other places I indicated buildings that while severely damaged still had valuables inside: such as banks. Lastly they panned the spaceport with many facilities sparsely damaged. At the end I pointed out that there were lights still on in some of the port buildings and water flowing across a street. While this was months ago, it showed that city services were still largely intact to be able to supply water and electricity after several months with no attention by maintenance people. I then pointed out that the Senior Officer at Sigma 7 had signed off on the report agreeing with its conclusions.

As my demonstration continued the Admiral became more and more agitated. My final point was telling. He stood up and paced for a while, not able to sit until he came to a decision. He final seated himself again with a grim expression on his face.

I began to ask the Admiral the questions that I had asked myself not so long ago. Starting with: What were the pirates after on Sigma 7?

"You've presented me with some interesting questions." Commented the Admiral. "I don't think that I can answer a single one right now. Before all is said and done however, I will be able too. Now I have a question for you Marcia and Sally. Are you planning on starting an all girls' school soon? If the answers I receive from your questions aren't very nice, I may have a couple more for your classes." He chuckled at his joke but the laughter never reached his eyes.

"I love them all dearly but I'm not sure I could handle anymore." I responded seriously. "For a good cause I might consider it though."

"Oh, by the way." Offered the Admiral. "The Esterhaus and her crew are in isolation. As you suspected only about 10 of her Officers and Crew knew about the transfers. We are trying to account for all her stores since the Captain and most of those that were involved came aboard. Marcia, you've helped us so much in the process of digging out these bad apples. I want you to know that I personally and the Patrol in general appreciates that very much."

The remainder of the evening was spent in pleasant conversation. The girls were finally herded into the house from their playtime outside. They immediately swarmed the Admiral with Amy and Julie finally ending up asleep on his lap. He retired that night with pleasant memories of his stay but an implacable resolve to find the answers to many tough questions. He departed the next day for the Patrol Headquarters and the start of his search.

A few days after the Admiral left, there was a knock at our door. When I answered it there was an older woman with a sour expression awaiting me. "I'm here to check on the welfare of the children you have here." She began without introduction and tried to push her way past me.

Even with her fat butt outweighing me by 50 pounds, I stood my ground. "Who do you think you are?" I demanded. "You can't just barge in here like you own the place." As she kept on trying to enter I said. "Back off bitch! Who do you think you are?"

"I am Mrs. Birch from the Child Welfare Bureau." She finally explained. "My job requires me to check on the welfare of all the children."

"Do you barge into every newcomer's house that has any children? I asked testily.

"I feel it is my responsibility to check on the welfare of any large group of children…" She tried to explain.

"As I understand it, you are here, trying to force your way into my house, without any complaint or reason to believe that any kind of problem exists?" I questioned. "The only excuse you have is your desire to stick your big fat ugly face into my personal business? Get out of my face before I have you arrested for trespassing."

She immediately retreated, spouting threats against anyone that would defy the Child Welfare Bureau and there appointed inspectors.

I immediately called the Child Welfare Bureau and began to explain to the Director (Mrs. Somebody) in minute details the imaginative ancestry of incompetent busybodies like Mrs. Birch. I was waxing eloquently as only a true spaceman or sailor could. I detailed the problems that I would cause if the likes of Mrs. Birch ever darkened my doorstep again. As an enlightening touch, I called into question the probability of the directors continued employment if people like Mrs. Birch remained on her payroll. I was in rare form that day.

Soon after Lisa turned one. As much as I love those girls, I'm happy to get a rest from breast-feeding. We celebrated Lisa's birthday and with a big party. I was celebrating my freedom also. I soon began weaning Lisa.

*********

I followed through during the next few council meetings. I finally met with the Director, a Mrs. Wilcox as I later learned. While Veronica Birch had not been terminated, as I had demanded, she and all of her cases were under scrutiny. It would be several weeks before the review could be finished but I was confident that her incompetence would show up under the review.

Fueled by this latest incidence and with everything seeming to be progressing evenly on all fronts, Sally turned her sights on me. It was now approaching my birthday.

"Well little Sis." She said a few days after the council meeting. "You have come a long way so far. You can do your own makeup, most of the time. You have a reasonable fashion sense, if you are only allowed to pick from what is already in your closet. You are the survivor of at least two periods now. That shows that you are a female. Next you have to learn to be feminine. Eventually, you will have to learn how to be a LADY."

"Why can't I stay just as I am? I pouted. "I'm doing OK just as I am."

"It is not just a question of you." Came her reply. "You have to think of the welfare of the girls. They need a role model. While you may not like that idea sister mine, you're stuck with it."

I hate it when she's right. She usually was and as I thought back, I could remember the drills that Sally had to go through from our mother. OH No, I was now going to have to go through those same drills.

**********

It was worse than I ever imagined. Not only did I have to be on my guard around Sally, but also she had enlisted the bigger girls to help her. If my posture slipped or my head sagged a little voice would say in correction "Mommy, Aunt Sally says…" How could I get mad at them, they were just doing as they were told. I think I detected a hint of enjoyment in their correctional behavior. All part of Sally's plan of course.

My construction company was making progress with the schools and a few other buildings. The schools had a projected opening date and soon the girls could meet new friends and socialize outside our little group.

Under pressure from Sally on the Council, decisions were being made and city services were improving. As the construction preceded other clean-up projects began to appear. The city was gradually returning to its pre-attack activity level.

I was now receiving almost daily requests (virtual demands) to let contracts for the reconstruction of Sigma 7. It had narrowed down to three companies that were pushing. There were 7 others that had bids in but they didn't seem so insistent. Something smelled rotten simply from the urgency of their demands.

There were also requests to purchase Sigma 7. There appeared to be several groups hoping to immigrate out of their local system for various reasons. A couple were from companies that wanted to relocate their manufacturing facilities closer to the source of raw or processed goods.

***********

It was rapidly becoming apparent that the girls would soon need more room. At this time they needed the closeness that our living arrangements required. They were starting to show signs of needing their own space. With a little search Sally and I agreed on a site for a new house. Well house would be too modest. It was to be a mansion, complete with servant's quarters and guest facilities. It was designed with two large master bedrooms for Sally and I, a nursery, three guest rooms and servant's quarters downstairs. Upstairs would have sixteen large bedrooms. They would be setup as two rooms with an attached bath. Each adjoining room would have folding walls between rooms to make them into larger rooms. As the girls grew and wanted more privacy the rooms could be made into more individual sized rooms.

The projected construction time was going to be 6 months. That was mostly because of the lead-time necessary to plan the job. All the construction companies were busy either repair, new construction or cleaning off lots.

About a week after we finalized plans for our new home I received a message that the Admiral would be stopping by for a visit. I would be on pins and needles until he arrived.

The following week was a busy one. Follow up meetings with the architect on final details. I met with Mrs. Wilcox at her request. She informed me that after researching the cases and related files her staff had uncovered several letters of complaint against Mrs. Birch that had been sidetracked. The letters were being turned over to the District Attorney's office for investigation. However, not all the writers of the letters were still alive. The DA's staff would still try to follow up with relatives and friends.

That week's council meeting was a complete mess. Several members were trying to promote a free giveaway program for those who were out of work. They had no idea of what the services would cost, how long they would be available and what the eligibility requirements would be. The initial rough draft had everyone in my household eligible except for the servants. It was obvious that the argument would last the entire night.

The next day the Admiral arrived. This was on the surface an official inspection surveying the base and the further need for construction and manpower. Since housing was low on the priority list, there was no appropriate billeting available for the Admiral. We, of course, invited him to stay with us, while his Aide stayed on the base.

The Admiral had his baggage sent ahead while he inspected the base. Later that afternoon he arrived at our home. He was ushered into the study where I was reading the progress report from my bank. The girls were being cleaned up for dinner.

"Welcome, Admiral." I greeted as he entered. "How have you been?"

"Marcia, I've been just fine, thank you." Returned the Admiral. "I must thank you for having me over while I inspect the base. I have missed our chats and the girls. Where are they by the way?"

"They'll be here soon." I replied. "They are just being cleaned up for dinner after a hard day at play. Why don't you take this time to clean up also? Dinner will be served in about 30 minutes or so. It will give you a chance to rest. We can chat later after the girls are tucked away."

"That is an excellent suggestion." Agreed the Admiral. "Just show me the way."

I rang for the maid to show the Admiral his room and facilities. His bags had already been placed in his room.

You cannot call 27 children at dinner a formal affair. It would someday be that way but not yet. With Sally at a Council function we could let our hair down for a while. With the assistance of several nannies the girls were helped to eat their meals. With alternating days off, the girls had the help of several nannies plus a couple that were available at night in case of nightmares or any number of other possible problems. The nighttime nannies were also fully qualified nurses.

After dinner the Admiral and I played with the girls for a time and then sat back and watched them play until their bedtime. With hugs and kisses from all the girls, the Admiral and I supervised tucking them all into bed.

While the girls valiantly fought the sandman, the Admiral and I sat down for the talk that he had come so far for. After we had our drinks in hand he began.

"Marcia, much has happened since my last visit." Stated the Admiral. "This information is not for general distribution. Sally is, of course, allowed to hear this information. In regard to Sigma 7, we now have documentary proof that the Senior Officer a Captain was paid to endorse the report. He has been offered the chance to cooperate and retire quietly as a Commander or serve hard time in the Patrol prison as a recruit. You see no Officer can be sent to prison as an Officer, they have to be reduced in rank to the lowest enlisted rank first. So far all we have are the identities of low-level flunkies that were the front men offering the bribes. We haven't a clue who they represented, what they were after or even why?"

"The preliminary evaluation of the attack shows that they attacked the housing areas first." Continued the Admiral. "They were able to determine this from the burn areas and remaining hot spots. The housing areas destruction was total. The business district was ruined but not nearly as badly as the housing area. It doesn't make sense. What were they after?"

"That just reminded me of something Admiral." I offered. "When we first detected the energy signals, the Captain was upset. I think I know why now. We finally landed on the planet near daybreak. So the pirates had started their attack at night while most people were asleep. That explains why they were concentrating on the housing area. The Captain was upset because we had arrived too early. As you know Admiral, there is Ships time and Standard time. Standard time is a common reference that everyone in space uses to coordinate their scheduling. The crew for their daily schedule such as watch standing uses ships time. Bull and a couple of others on his shift had a program that altered the ships time. They shaved up to an hour at a time from their watch standing or added up to an hour on someone else's watch. They were very careful to have ships time back to normal by the time we docked. At Sigma 7 the clocks were still off by several hours."

"When we landed on Hopeswell, we were only there to load reaction mass." I continued. "We ended up staying for two weeks. We then left and headed directly to Sigma 7 but at a slower than usual speed. I believe the Captain had planned to arrive shortly after the raid to clean out what he could before anyone knew anything about the raid. Bull's program altered the Captain's schedule and we arrived early."

"Marcia, you said that the Pirates ship was headed out of the system when they fired at you?" Questioned the Admiral. "Are you sure that they weren't going to come back to attack again?

"No their track and vector eliminated any possibility of their immediate return." I reasoned. "They were finished with their mission. That's it! The only thing they were there for was to annihilate everyone on the planet. The Captain wasn't prepared for any major opposition. So what does anyone gain by annihilating an entire planet. Revenge? Genocide? Who gains by their death? Is the planet itself the prize? They are still finding habitable planets out there."

"I don't think that we have the right answers yet Marcia." Commented the Admiral. "However, I think that your questions are getting close. I agree with your questions. Who indeed would want a planet? What is unique about it? Has there been some new mineral deposits discovered on the planet, or perhaps on one of the nearby planets or asteroids. Or is it location? They are all interesting questions. I'll have to have my staff do research it them all."

"Who could plan such a monstrous thing?" I asked.

I can't imagine, but I will find out." Avowed the Admiral. "Now to other things. The Esterhaus was inspected and all those directly involved are under arrest. Several of those have decided that it was in their best interest to cooperate with us. Consequently, we have the ships' names and even some of their crew's names. Although we don't know exactly where they call home base, we have a general local. We have setup the Esterhaus as a decoy. Hopefully these ships will return for more weapons and we can kill or capture them at that time."

"That is great news, Admiral." I gushed. "I'm happy that something good seems to have come from all this."

"As in the previous two cases, you will have a reward coming for your participation." Commented the Admiral. "While it won't approach the amount of the other two, it will still be a tidy sum."

"You haven't even caught anyone else yet and you talk of rewards already." I protested.

"It is only a matter of time." Stated the Admiral. "You were instrumental in the discovery of the Esterhaus. From that information others WILL be captured. The members of the Patrol cannot claim the reward and no one else has a claim. Therefore you must accept it when it comes."

"Forget that for now." I requested. "I have an idea that could help us both. This planet is out of the normal traffic routes. Even the Patrol only makes infrequent trips out here. Yet this is the shortest route to the newly settled worlds of the Omega sector."

"Yes, you're right and I think you know why." Responded the Admiral. "As you say it is shorter, but since there are no repair or refueling facilities on this route, no ships can make such a large double jump. Do you have plans in that area?"

"As of right now, Mander II is self sustaining, but slowly dying." I informed the Admiral. "We have plentiful natural resources. We export a small amount of goods. What we lack is manpower and the expanding economy to entice more people to settle here. When I say manpower, I mean it in more than one way. We lost a significant percentage of the male population. There are a lot of widows. A lot of women have had to enter the job market just to make ends meet. Even at that we still lack critical skills. We were in a comfortable position before the attack and weren't concerned with expansion. Now we expand or die. What would the Patrol do if there was a station that could repair and refuel your ships here?"

"As a guess, most of the Patrol ships going to the Omega Sector would refuel here." Speculated the Admiral. "More importantly most of the freighter traffic would also take this route to save time and fuel. I can see that it has a strong potential for success if you can set up the finances. Bankers can be hard to convince."

"The only problem I anticipate with bankers is to get them to release my money back to me." I responded. "My main concern isn't the finances of the station, it's the manning. Without the proper skills and manpower, it's useless space junk."

"Well manpower is my middle name." Replied the Admiral. I have highly qualified people leaving the Patrol every month. Many have no immediate job prospects. With your permission, I'll screen the best people and refer them to you if they are interested. I get job information from many large companies all the time. Having a job waiting when you get out takes a lot of pressure off these people. That is especially true if they have families to support."

"Admiral, I wouldn't turn down anyone with the proper skills," I stated, "but this world needs single men as much as the skills they will bring with them. I have already discussed this with Sally and she will be the one to screen all applicants for our requirements. She will need someone at your end to coordinate the process."

"I have just the man." Stated the Admiral. "My Aide Lieutenant Commander Phillips. He is an excellent judge of men and has contacts in the civilian market also for skills not normally found in the Patrol."

It was getting late so we decided to go to bed. After I showed him to his room, I started for my own but heard a faint noise. Following the noise, I found Marion and Melissa trying to play quietly. "Hey why are you two still up. I questioned the pair. "It's way past your bedtime."

"Mommy, we didn't get our hugs and kisses before going to bed." Explained Marion. "Lissa said we could wait up until you were ready for bed to get them."

"You two little scamps." I exclaimed in mock anger. "You were both asleep when I gave you your hugs and kisses. You know what happens when you don't go to bed on time. It's too late to do anything now. You two lucked out this time. Now get to bed and I'll be there in a minute to tuck you in." As they scampered off to bed, I began looking in on the others. With my tour finished I returned to the two little imps. After hugs and kisses, I tucked them in for the night.

Lisa, Grace and Tennille still slept in my room. They were starting to sleep through the night now. Lisa still occasionally awoke hungry. Tonight I was awakened by a sharp kick in my side. Rubbing my side while opening my eyes I spied 4 lumps under the covers. Which four this time? Usually it was six or more that managed to migrate into my bed. Pulling then closer, I continued to inspect my eyelids for pinhole light leaks.

By the time I was up dressed and ready for the day, the Admiral had left for the base. At breakfast I joined Sally while she told me about the latest council meeting or rather free for all. It seems that Sylvia Von Escher was at it again. The only opinion that Sylvia cared about was her own. After her husbands death she assumed that his seat was by right hers. So few cared at the time that she got her wish. Since then, if it contained show and glitter she was in favor of it. Anything that really accomplished a purpose was held in disdain especially if it didn't further her agenda. Her agenda: to make Sylvia look good and dole out the spoils of government to her friends.

Letting Sally vent her anger to me seemed an easy way to let her cool down. I was also kept informed of the current state of affairs of the council without having to attend each and every meeting. After she had cooled down, I told her of my conversation with the Admiral the night before. Sally was in favor of the plan from the day I first broached it to her. We decided that I would handle all the technical aspects of the project and she would handle the personnel aspects and be the contact with Lieutenant Commander Phillips. Was that a gleam I saw in her eye? I'll have to take a closer look at this Lieutenant Commander Phillips. I think the Admiral said his first name was Jason.

As we discussed the requirements of the space dock / repair / refueling station, I had a nagging feeling that there was something I was forgetting. As our discussion continued it became more like a buzz in my head. Then it hit me; Sigma 7 had such a station. It may be in ruins but might be repairable. As it stood, a new station would be at least two years in the building after the contract was accepted and there was space and manpower to start it. On top of that it was already ours.

Sally agreed to stay with the girls while I worked on a couple projects. I started with the bank. When you own the bank you have a little bit of influence in matters regarding your money. Nice thought, the bank manager still had rules and regulations to follow. I just needed to inform the manager that I expected to have several large expenditures in the near future so that he could free up the necessary funds in time.

My next stop was the lawyers. I wanted to check on some old patents and their status. I also had to sign some papers left over from my last visit. He was monitoring the continuing investigation of Mrs. Birch and the finalizing the adoption of all the girls so that there was no possibility of any glitches.

My final stops were at the construction business and the communications business. Both were active but nothing had happened that required my attention. While the communications operation was operating, it was barely at 50% of capacity. The construction operation was going full time with jobs waiting. There was no chance to expand without more manpower.

When I returned home, we ate lunch and I played with the girls for a couple hours. When other things distracted the girls, I searched through the Sigma 7 report looking for any mention of the space station. There was none. It was time for another chat with the Admiral.

The Admiral returned an hour before dinner. I had a chance to meet his Aide and also saw Sally's interest. Not my type but what is my type now? Upon his return, he told us about the dinner dance that he had been invited to. It seems that Sylvia has been busy with her schemes it seems. She had invited the Admiral and his Aide. She would provide female companions if he didn't know anyone on the planet. The Admiral asked that Sally and I be his guests and companions for the evening. This of course required a shopping trip for a new dress and accessories. Oh Joy. Just how I wanted to spend tomorrow.

After a brief rest we joined the girls at dinner. The din prevented normal conversation. While Tennille was trying to stuff a carrot piece up her nose, Amy was washing her hair in applesauce. A tradition as old as children, it is called nutrition through osmosis. It would have to be absorbed through the skin since it was not going through the oral pathway. With the children fed, cleaned and otherwise distracted the Admiral, Sally and I sat down for our evening chat.

"Admiral,' I began, "we have decided that Sally will interface with your Aide and handle the personnel screening. I will handle the hardware requirements and procurement. On that note, I remember Sigma 7 having a station in place. Do you have any report on its condition?"

"Actually I don't remember seeing anything in the reports about any type of station.' Returned the Admiral. "Yet as I think about it there must have been something there. I remember a lot of reports of layovers for various reasons from other reports. That is another serious oversight that needs to be rectified."

"Even a gutted hulk will save months in the construction." I stressed. "I'm having it moved to orbit here as soon as possible. In fact, I know the crew to do the job."

"Do you have anybody that is capable of assessing the damage?" Asked the Admiral. "Do you have a ship and crew to start the hull repair? There is a lot to think about before your project goes to far."

"I wasn't to concerned at this point." I admitted. "I don't even know for sure that there is enough left of the station to tow here."

"Let me offer this suggestion." Said the Admiral. "Since the attack here in Mander III, everyone at the base is new. We have assigned some highly experienced people here. To counter that, there are a larger number of new recruits. Their training is complete as far as can be done on the ground. They need training in space, which is the environment that they are supposed to be operating in. I don't have the ships or crews to spare for that training right now or for the foreseeable future. Regulations prohibit Patrol personnel from competing in the civilian market, even if there is no market yet established. Which means even if there are no workers here yet, we can't take the work away from them before they can arrive. Nor can I justify the expenditure of time and money to help directly. However, there is a loophole. If you would allow us to use that hulk for training we can help each other."

"I'm not sure I understand, Admiral?" I remarked.

"This is really a great benefit to my men's training." Stated the Admiral with animation. "My men as I've said aren't allowed to rebuild your station. However, using it for training two or three days a week will benefit them. They can do battle damage assessment with real damage to look at. Usually the training simulates the damage without actually having to remove parts or work with actual wreckage in the way. They will have to examine the hull for damage, perform hull pressure checks compartment by compartment. They will be required to make emergency patches on all hull leaks. All leaks will be cataloged for the actual repair team. They will have to work at all times in vacuum to simulate real emergency conditions. They will have one pressurized compartment that can be used in an emergency. After they fix it of course. While the hull techs do their inspection the other people can make their assessment of communications, life support, hydroponics, power generation, platform stabilization and all the other systems required. By the time you have the men for repair here, you will have a complete damage assessment and a list of equipment necessary for repair or replacement."

"I'm flabbergasted, Admiral." I gasped. "I don't know what to say."

"Say yes, Marcia." Stated the Admiral. "In fact, I may even send a couple more crew here for training. They will all do the same inspections. So don't expect that three times the people will hurry up the job. In fact, I expect it to slow it down to some extent."

"How will three times as many people slow the job down?" Asked Sally.

"When all the inspection reports are complete, they will be compared." Explained the Admiral. "Any difference, either an addition or omission, will have to be examined by all to decide what was missed or what was seen that wasn't there. Either way their training is enhanced by the exercise."

"Admiral, what about the other pirate ship at Sigma 7?" I asked. "What is its status?"

"The bodies have all been removed, as have the weapons." Said the Admiral. "A beacon was placed on it to warn shipping of a hazard but other than that it is still there. Mostly just a pile of junk."

"Why not use it for training just as you plan for the station at Sigma 7." I suggested. "It will give a different set of problems for damage control than the station does. Besides it already has weapons control panels and launchers not carried on the station. That gives a different set of problems for another group of people not trained on the station."

"You're right." Agreed the Admiral. "I can get it towed to the station and they can be brought over here together."

"Also if the tanks are still intact, we can use them to hold reaction mass material until the Station is ready for operation. The extra mass of the ship shouldn't change the cost for towing here if they are both docked together."

"Since this is now obviously training material, the Patrol has an obligation to foot part of the bill." Offered the Admiral. "I'll make a note to send a message to Sigma 7 to start that right away."

"If you get your crews to tow that derelict to the Station, I will make preparation to have them towed here." I suggested. "We can argue over the bill later."

"I'll go along with that suggestion." Agreed the Admiral. "As far as parts are concerned you can start ordering them as soon as the Preliminary inspection is finished."

"Now for manpower." I said continuing the discussion. "We will need Hull Technicians first and foremost. We will need Power Plant Technicians soon after. Next we will need Life Support Specialists. At the same time we will need Electricians to rewire everything. We want both Journeymen and at least one apprentice each. The exact numbers will be determined later. Now that we have the most obvious what other skills do we need?" The rest of the evening was spent fleshing out the list of people needed the numbers of each type and the general skills required for each one.

"Sally," I said, "to add to your manpower search, I want you to look for about 100 construction workers to clean up Sigma 7. It will be a long-term contract so that they can bring their families. Preferably no children, since there won't be any schools, social activities or facilities. The core group will come out of our construction company here with heavy equipment being supplied from here. We'll need a preliminary crew to construct housing and warehouse space for salvageable material.

We interrupted the discussion to help put the girls to bed and then planned late into the night. Lisa, Grace and Tennille all slept through the night. That didn't affect me being awakened by another kick in the side from those pesky four little lumps that kept showing up in my bed.

Again the Admiral had left before I could assemble myself for breakfast. With a hearty breakfast under our belts and the girls occupied by their nannies, Sally and I made plans to raid the town. Well she made the plans I just nodded in agreement. Little did I realize the extent of her plans?

Sherman's march to the sea was a Boy Scout outing compared to the disaster we left behind. We destroyed eight stores before we found the 'Perfect Dress' for me. Three more before we found Sally's dress and a second one for me for some reason. Then came the lingerie and the accessories. Why is the price for women's clothes inversely proportional to the amount of material used? When we had finished our swathe of destruction, we were both dead on our feet.

Now came the full dress rehearsal. Individually, I had no objection to any of the clothes, except when they were on me. I would have to live with it, however. The lingerie felt good, even the slimming and uplift the Basque gave. When the dress was smoothed out over my body and I stepped before a mirror, I had a problem. There was more cleavage hanging out than I was comfortable seeing. This was the first time that I had really been dressed up. Sure I had been wearing skirts and dresses when I had to. But this was over the top. In fact, everything was spilling over the top of that dress.

With the dress rehearsal finished, Sally then helped me change from the formal dress that was selected for Sylvia's party to the second dress that we had selected. This one was more conservative but still showed more than I liked. With the Basque still on but a change in accessories I was pronounced ready. Ready? What was I ready for?

Note: This was the first time that Marcia had been made up to the max. I had been helping her coordinating her wardrobe for several months now. She could do an adequate job of dressing herself with light makeup, but had never gone all the way. After I had her completely dressed and had done her makeup, it took me almost an hour to convince her that she wasn't going to pop out of her gown in front of everyone. As long as she was preoccupied she was fine but you could tell how self-conscious she was when she had time to think.

************

Sally walked me out to the Parlor where the Admiral and his Aide stood. They then escorted us to the formal dining room where many of my new friends awaited our, make that my, arrival. As I entered they began to sing Happy Birthday to Me. I never realized that it could rain inside. It became very misty around me at least. I enjoyed myself tremendously. The girls had their own little party for me in the kitchen/dining room. Both parties were unforgettable. Had a year gone by so swiftly? Where had it gone?

All the girls were allowed to stay up later than usual, mostly because it took so long to bath them all. After I had helped to tuck them all in for the night, I rejoined the party already in full swing.

We partied late that night and finally bid all of my guests a goodnight. By the time I had undressed, cleaned my makeup off and was finally ready for bed it was after 3 A.M. I wasn't even truly asleep when I felt movement of my bed while I was staying still. In the dim light I could just barely make out 5 little bodies crawling under the covers with me. One more snuggle bunny than usual for the night. I just let them snuggle a little closer and went back to sleep myself.

The morning sun awoke me. As I checked the time I amended my thought to 'the noonday sun awoke me.' I played with the girls for an hour or so before getting ready for the business of the day. I sent a message to the Manley's requesting that they take my contract to move the Station and ship from Sigma 7 to Mander III. I also sent a list of supplies that I knew we would need for the Station no matter what the condition it was in. Hydroponics, electrical components and auxiliary generators until the main systems came on line. I signed it only M. Owens. I had a lot of explaining to do when they arrived. Everything on the business front was progressing as well as could be expected.

At 4 o'clock Sally arrived with her beautician in tow. I knew I was in trouble now. I was washed, rinsed, highlighted, rolled, waxed, plucked and sautéed. By 6:30 I was exhausted and a nervous wreck. I was back in my Basque and party dress for all to see. Believe me there seemed to be a lot to see. All of it was sticking out in front of me too. Sally and I met the Admiral and his Aide in the Parlor. Their hushed silence caused me to turn to run to hide my tears of embarrassment. Sally caught me as I turned and then I heard their outspoken praise at how beautiful I looked. From near tears, I went to scarlet-faced embarrassment. With only a few minutes to compose myself, we left for the banquet hall reserved for Sylvia's gala.

As we entered the hall, I could feel the knives and daggers. "Thou hidest a thousand daggers in thy thoughts, which thou hast whetted on thy stony heart" Henry IV." For a while I felt good. I had everything these bitches wanted. I had looks, money, power, but most of all I had a man on my arm and most of them didn't. Suffer! Of course nothing was going to happen between us but they would never know. Now with Sally and Jason, all bets are off.

While nothing of note actually happened at the party, I knew it didn't go as Sylvia had planned. Sylvia and her crew were trying to corner all the business connected with the Patrol Base supplies. Since I had purchased my bank, Sylvia's bank had fallen on hard times and was struggling to maintain second place. In addition, all of the companies that Sylvia's cronies represented had failed to get any contracts from either of my companies. Their prices were too high for the quality they represented and were too inflexible to deal.

Their competitors negotiated strongly but were willing to make concessions. To sweeten the deal, I added incentives for on-time delivery and higher quality. I usually paid less than I would have with the other companies. I could have squeezed my suppliers to near cost given the state of the market. However, I wanted people to be put to work not put out of business.

The Admiral and I permitted the hens to separate us for a time. He was sweet, complimentary, and gracious but only talked in vagaries and generalities. You don't make Admiral with the temperament of a Bull in a china closet. In the meantime I fended off the bared claw contingent until we could graciously call it an evening. I didn't have any blood on me and I didn't leave any dead bodies behind but a few felt my claws and barbs in return that night. The only barb that hurt was the 'accidentally overheard' comment that Sylvia made. "She may have money but she doesn't have any class." When Sally discovered how upset I was about that statement, she promised herself to teach me all she could. She started by making all our evening meals formal dress with or without guests. The girls could wear less formal attire but were still responsible for their manners.

The Admiral and Jason left two days later. Before he left, he confided in me that he was going to put in his request for retirement. He would request that it be as soon as a suitable replacement could be found and had time to get a feel for the job. Sally moped around until I reminded her that she had a personnel-manning list to make. When I pointed out that Jason would have to be in contact as she finished with her as soon it she immediately perked up.

 

Continued Chapter 3

  

  

  

*********************************************
© 2003 by Michelle A.. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without the express written consent of StorySite and the copyright holder.