by Wolf Golan
“Hey!” He said.
“Hey.” She said back.
“Thanks for coming by.”
“No problem,” She answered. “So what's the status?”
“Well,” J.T. looked at the ship resting his hands on his hips. “We're about done with the assessment and just doing small wiring and mechanical repairs.”
He silently pondered a moment before turning to her. “David called a meeting tomorrow, so we'll give an update then, but it looks good.”
She smiled gently and stared at the ship.
“You're still helping the Wangs and the markets?”
“Yeah making clothes too,” Alex replied, slowly nodding with a gentle smile.
“Wow! Cool, hard worker.”
“Whatever, I'm just keeping busy.”
“Well every bit counts.” J.T. replied.
Again, Alex returned a gentle smile.
Dallas was now kneeling by her tools changing a socket. Alex waved at her. She waved back with her gloves. Alex smiled to J.T. and started back to the castle.
Slowly, Alex made her way up to stairwell, slowly ascending it, and drifting to her room. She came in and started combing her hair in the bathroom, when Max walked in. He set his sword against the wall and slowly took off a new leather corselet.
“Cool armor.” Alex said from the bathroom.
“Thanks,” he placed it on a wooden chair at the left side of the bed. He walked around his bed and threw his jacket on the chest.
He sat on the bed, slowly slipped off his boots, peeled off his socks, and slowly made his way to the bed.
He gently lied down with groans.
Alex came out with her trunks and t-shirt and crawled into bed. Max reluctantly got up and walked into the bathroom and ran the speed brush through his mouth. He walked back to the bed and sat down. He slowly slipped off his pants and grabbed his pajama pants on the chest and put them on. He let himself fall back on the bed.
“Awww... ” Max groaned.
Alex turned and put her hand around his right cheek and turning his face to her as she kissed him. “Max, we haven't had sex on this world yet.” She said in a low and sensual way.
He glanced at her expressionless but squinting.
“What?” She said squinting back sarcastically.
“I've been hit on every part of my body with a wooden sword. I'm really hurt. I wouldn't be any good to you, sorry.”
“Ooouuu!” She rested her chin on his chest.
“Aaahhh,” He yelled a little. She took off his shirt and raised her eyebrows at his bruises. “Wow! You're really beat up.”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!” He cried. “I'm going to sleep now.”
He closed his eyes.
“Okay,” she answered flipped around to sleep. She flipped back over to him.
Alex didn’t know where it had come from, but she loved him so much in that moment.
“OH I LOVE YOU!” She jumped on top of him.
“AAAHHH!” Max's yell echoed through the castle and perhaps across Densmere Kingdom.
###
It was morning and Max laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling in aches and pain, almost crying.
Alex came out and poured a pitcher of water in a wooden bathtub. She walked back and got another pitcher and came back to pour another, before placing the pitcher on the stand. Daegwa came in and poured the last one.
“That should do it Daegwa. Thank you so much. We'll be fine.” Alex smiled.
“Alright just ring the bell if you need anything.” Daegwa smiled and walked out.
Alex smiled at her leaving then turned to Max. “Okay soldier, time to get up and come over.” Alex commanded. He didn't move, so she walked to him and shook his shoulder.
“Awww... ” he said squeezing his face in pain.
“Oh don't be a baby!”
With grunts and groans, he lifted himself off the bed and made his way to the tub. She rolled her white sleeves up and helped him get in.
A knock sounded at the door.
Alex walked over and cracked it, it was Sir Guyin.
“Oh Knight Guyin,” Alex said smiling. “It looks like Maxwell will not be joining you today. He's in pretty bad shape. I’ll try to have him in ship-shape for tomorrow though.”
“Oh alright, I will be back on the marrow.” He bowed.
“Okay,” Alex replied and bowed.
Guyin left.
Alex closed the door and walked back to Max to help him slowly and painfully, remove his clothes. She let him leave his trunks on and slowly lowered him in.
“Aaaahhhh... .” Max leaned his head back and closed his eyes, as he sunk into the tub.
Alex smiled. He opened his eyes and looked at her. She was still smiling as she bent down, grabbed the soap, and started scrubbing his chest. He watched her with his sleepy eyes, turned up, and closed his eyes.
Another knock came at the door.
“Rat,” Alex sneered.
Max sighed too.
She put the soap down, dried her hands with a small towel, and walked to the door. She cracked it open, it was David.
“Hi,” David said.
“Hi,” Alex replied.
“We're meeting in twenty minutes, tell Max.”
“Okay.”
Alex looked over at Max with his eyes closed, then quietly slipped herself out and gently closed the door behind her. “Max is indisposed for the rest of the day. He's pretty beat up man. He's been learning how to sword fight with Sir Guyin for the last three weeks.”
“Oh,” David smiled. “Well I hope he feels better. J.T. and Dallas have updates for us. Maybe you can join us and update him later?”
“Sure, I’ll be right down.”
“Great, I'll see you there.” David nodded and walked down the hall.
Alex slipped back in and walked over to Max. He still rested in the tub with his eyes closed. She bent down, put her hair up in a bun, grabbed a sponge, and continued scrubbing him. He opened his eyes and looked at her.
“The crew is having a meeting about the ship. They're meeting in a half-hour. They want me to come. I told them you weren't coming, because you were beaten to a pulp.”
“Good,” Max replied.
“Sit up I'm going to wash your hair.” She poured a little shampoo in her hands.
He sat up and she started rubbing shampoo through his hair. She put the sponge down, dipped her hands in a bucket of hot water, and picked it up.
“Sit up again.”
He sat up.
She poured the bucket over his head.
“Ooouuu!” Max said shaking.
She finished and gestured him up more, so Max slowly stood up with his wet trunks. With her sleeves still rolled up, Alex started drying him with a towel, padding his chest down. Max couldn’t resist it anymore, so he grabbed her and started ravishing her, kissing her. She dropped the towel and kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck.
A knock came at the door.
“Son of a bitch!” Max yelled.
“WHO IS IT?” Alex shouted.
“Daegwa, just wanted to know if everything was alright?”
“Yes everything 'was' alright.” Alex replied giggling, as Max joined.
“Okay, sorry.” She said going away.
“It’s fine.” Alex replied.
After Max got out, Alex helped him put his t-shirt on and his pajama pants, before lying him down on the bed, covering him.
“Take a nap babe, I'll go to the meeting and be back later, give you an update.”
“Okay,” he said nodding his head and turning over to sleep.
“I love you so much!” She reached down squeezed his cheeks and kissed him hard.
“Ah!” He said letting out a small moan.
She stood back up.
“I like you better this way, powerless and at my disposal, maybe this is how our relationship should be from now on.” She said grinning. He squinted at her and closed his
eyes, pulling the blanket to his chin.
Maybe it ‘was’ a good idea he get beat up every day with swordplay, because it’s makes him so vulnerable to me! Alex thought grinning.
Alex walked over to the door, grabbed her jacket, opened the door, and turned to Max when he said: 'When I marry you... hope we can have more days like this…”
The remark stopped her in her tracks. She looked down smiling with heartache. She turned and said: “Rest up Max, I love you.”
“Love you,” he replied.
She closed the door, smiled, and started down the hall.
Chapter 17
Alex got to the South Dining hall and saw the crew already pouring in and began chattering. She joined them.
“Hey guys,” Alex said.
Some nodded and greeted her. J.T. had oil smears on his face as he sat at the far end of the table with Dallas, a little dirty herself. David came in with a brown tunic and white cotton shirt, belt, and brown leggings.
“Gone Native David?” Alex commented.
“Yeah, I suppose I am.” He said sitting down. “It's a little comfortable.”
Terry and Donald Wang sat down at the far left, alongside Dallas and J.T..
Ryan came in with a brown overtop, fan shaped hat, leggings, and leather shoes and sat down.
“Going Native too Ryan.” Alex smiled.
“I thought ‘Why not’!” He said. He sat down opposite David.
A Servant came in, “Would you all like some bread and wine?”
“Sure,” David answered as he sat down between Jenny and Ryan. The Servant bowed and walked to the kitchen.
David pounded the table with a cup and everyone quieted.
“Call to order everyone,” he smiled. “We’ll get right to it; the ship, diagnostics?” David asked turning to Dallas and J.T..
“Excuse me!” Donald interrupted.
Everyone turned to him in silence.
“I know some of you are not religious and probably are not Christians, but would you mind if Terry and I began this meeting with a prayer?” Donald asked, sounding a little unsure.
“Oh sure! Definitely!” David said.
“Yeah, I was raised Catholic,” Jenny added.
“Of course,” Alex said. “We’ve been missing a spiritual element in this anyways.”
Donald bent his head down with Terry, as everyone followed. “Lord in Heaven, guard us and protect us as we find a way home, grant that you assist us with your wisdom, and to shower us with your care and love, in Christ's Name, Amen.”
They were fell quiet a moment longer.
Donald looked up smiling and everyone seemed satisfied. Ryan put his hat back on. The Servants brought wine and bread out and set it before them.
J.T. stood up and cleared his throat. “Ship Report: 80% of the fuselage is intact but Forward Port is totaled. We were able to fix some, but we should get the rest by next month. I didn't find schematics in the ship, but I was getting some on my Linked Unit. Dallas and I have been reading it avidly.” J.T. stopped, and his expression grew a little frustration.
“Y’all have to realize, we're not Ship Engineers. Dallas and I work with digging equipment, drill rigs and drill bits, and mining infrastructure, not ships so much.”
“We understand, and we appreciate everything you two can do, you're our only hope.” David answered.
“Yes,” Alex added.
David gestured them on.
“The engine still works, but the exhaust ports need a lot of repair. We can seal it, but we'd have to look through Jerald's bag for a wielder. There's a big crack in the power converter and a small crack in the Starboard rocket coolant, we can fix it with the Wielder too.” J.T. explained.
J.T. turned to Dallas as he sat down, and she stood up. She leaned against the table, as she started. “I crawled into the engine compartment and checked the circuit boards. The main consul has fried circuits, but nothing that wouldn't hinder our trip back home, because the main controls are still working.
Now to our main problem,” she said. A look of concern spread among the crowd. “Since the Power Converter Cylinder broke, it leaked Power Cells, so we don't have the fuel for the Jump Drive.”
The disconcerted silence continued among the crowd and look of concerns were traded.
“Is there fuel like it here?” Donald asked.
“No, no way, the technology is thousands of years in the future for these people. We would need Fusion Reaction Fluid, which they don't have because it's a mixture of different elements scattered across worlds and we need the main chemical Drizzelium. It's only found in the Grod Sector.”
“Which is why the Galactic Assembly has most of its Fleet there,” Ryan commented sarcastically.
Terry sank her head into Donald's chest squeezing her eyes in disappointment, sighs and unhappiness spread among the crew.
“However again... ” Dallas said.
They stopped and stared at her in silence.
“Paedrin said this powerful Rock can do things.”
“Freena's Rock,” David added.
“Yeah, it's said to contain the power to mold itself into a chalice to create any liquid we tell it. But who knows what's myth and what's real. I don't know if you want to base it as a solid, scientific solution.” She replied. She only saw looks of confusion and contemplation.
“I suppose this force us to look at the Distress Signal,” David answered.
“Yeah,” J.T. replied.
“One thing,” Alex replied, “I was wondering why we were even thinking about leaving these people to Luthrick? They're our friends and we're just going to leave them to die?”
“Prince Cornigan said they fought off the Dark Forces many times before and he told us not to worry.” Ryan replied. “I want to go home.”
“Ryan he was being kind,” Alex responded. “It doesn't seem right to just leave.”
“But it's not our war and we can be killed; don’t you want to go home?” Ryan argued.
“Yeah,” added Terry.
“This is sort of irrelevant to the matter at hand.” David interrupted. “At the moment, we’re going nowhere. Now, the Distress Signal! Do we turn it on or not?”
“Yeah let's turn it on.” Ryan answered.
“I vote 'Yes' too.” Terry added.
“Yes,” Donald added.
“Just a second,” Jenny interjected. “If we contact the wrong aliens, we can bring genocide to these people.”
“Yeah,” Dallas replied in support.
“I've read of Rebel Marauders scorching entire planets just for a few hundred tons of minerals.” Jenny explained. “There's some pretty diabolical creatures out there in space and this planet is going to be marked in System Database, if we DS.”
“Yes and remember the Galactic Code for undiscovered worlds,” David added. “What's the code people? We studied it at U-Dub.” David said staring around.
David began to chant it with only Jenny and Dallas following. “All planets not yet Interstellar-Advanced have an unspoken right to protection from Interstellar galactic governments, and convoys, and systems even if not contacted, if threatened by independent hostile forces, are to be defended.”
“Galactic Code 30078,” Dallas added.
A Servant came in and poured more wine.
“As an advanced people,” Alex replied. “We have that much more reason to take responsibility and consider the monstrous consequences of turning on the DS.”
“Can't we just convince whoever picks us up not say anything about the world or kill them.” J.T. added laughing.
“This is not a laughing matter J.T..” David replied.
“Yeah,” Dallas added.
“Sorry,” J.T. said, downcast.
“Why are we even debating this? Turn on the signal.” Ryan replied.
Alex looked at him annoyed.
“What about the war?” Dallas asked.
“Yeah,” Alex added.
“What about it? It's not our war.
” Ryan argued again.
Alex’s jaw dropped at his comment. “These people have taken us in, brought us our ship, fed us, housed us in a palace, and even risked their lives to protect us. I'm not going to leave them to fight Kraakon and Luthrick alone.” Alex said. “We have advanced weapons and we can help.”
“She has a point, something just doesn't seem right about us getting up and leaving.” Dallas added.
“We might not even get anyone on the DS anyways.” David commented.
“If we help them find the lost shards of Freena's Rock,” David explained. “We can destroy the Dark Lord and it can possibly get us home at the same time, Two birds with one stone.”
“That's crazy.” Ryan replied waving his head. “You guys can do whatever you want! I want you to turn on the signal. This is my life and my choice!”
David looked at him blankly, thinking.
“I want to stay and fight and find the Rocks.” Dallas added, everyone looked at her.
“Me too” Alex added.
“Me too, I'm against turning on the DS.” Jenny added.
“Even if a ship comes, I'm not leaving these people before I know Kraakon and Luthrick are destroyed.” Alex commented.
David stood up.
“Okay, let's put it to a vote: those for turning on the Distress Signal?” David looked around.
“I vote 'Yes,”' voted Ryan.
“Yes” Donald voted.
“Yes” Terry voted.
“I don't know,” J.T. replied, rubbing his mouth.
“It has to be 'Yes' or 'No' J.T..”
“Can you come back to me?” J.T. asked.
“Sure,” David replied, glancing to the girls.
“I vote 'No,” Jenny replied.
“No,” Dallas said.
“I vote No,” Alex added last.
“I'll vote at the end,” David commented with a smile. “What about Max?
Dallas go up and get his vote.”
“Sure,” Dallas got up and walked out.
Alex was nervous, she had been in a relationship with Max for three years, but did she know him? The vote could determine how she felt about him. If he voted ‘No’, then he never shared her values. She had a knot in her belly and it would not be undone until she heard his vote.
“Okay J.T., it's now time.” David said.
J.T. rested his chin on the handle of his knife against the table, everyone watched him in anxious silence. He put the knife down and sighed.“ I'm not too nuts about risking my life, but Alex sold me when she said 'they' risked their lives for us, so it's only right we pay them back and help, so I vote No.”