“So does anyone have any ideas as to what’s going on?” I asked.
“Maybe they were some sort of sex slaves for Ming. He seems the sort who would do something like that.” Kerabac responded.
“I don’t know,” Marranalis said, “we saw lots of sex slaves on Goo’Waddle but none of them seemed to be as terrified as these women here are. Not that we had anything to do with sex slaves, he added nervously when he noted Dr.’s Hughes and Danjuma staring at him with mouths open.
“It’s a long story,” I said looking at both Dr.’s Hughes and Danjuma, “I’m sure there are a number of people here on the ship that will be happy to relate it to you.” I turned and looked at Kala, who sat there with a dark look on her face. “What do you think Kala?
“I don’t know Tibby, but now I am rather uncomfortable as I’ve noted Ming looking at my stomach and grinning with that sick grin he has at times. I’ve noticed recently that I am starting to show my pregnancy and I assumed it was something that amused Ming, but after seeing this it makes my skin crawl. There is something sinister about all of that, but I don’t understand it.”
“Dr. Hughes? Any thoughts?”
“Honestly Tibby in all my years of practice and studies I’ve never seen anything quite like that. I’ve known men fixated with Women’s pregnancies but nothing like this. Usually, men with that sort of fetish treat pregnant women with kindness and great regard, he showed none of that, and his actions seemed more centered about what was in their womb than anything about them personally. They were just objects in his mind. But, doctor you said that several of the women from the lunar base showed signs of having had children, if Ming were interested in starting some sort of dynasty he would have kept the children and we found none.”
“Not necessarily,” Dr. Danjuma interjected, “If the children were girls and if he were only interested in male offspring he might have had the girls killed.”
“True doctor,” Dr. Hughes said as he sat sideways in his chair talking directly to Dr. Danjuma, “but have you noticed there is a disproportionate amount of women to men in the lunar group. There are 4 times as many women as men, that’s most odd, as you know our Mars team tried to match genders as much as possible because it's better psychologically for everyone and there are fewer fights and competition when the sexes are in closer to equal numbers.”
“Yes, but who’s to say what the Chinese do, or how they think, about balancing the sexual mix of a space colony.” Dr. Danjuma replied.
“Point taken,” Hughes muttered.
“Tibby I don’t want that man on this ship!” The Commodore said, “We’ve got to do something about this!”
Up until this point A’Lappe and Cantolla had sat by showing little reaction to what they had seen. “What about you two?” I asked looking back and forth between the two of them.
A’Lappe shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “This is out of my realm Tibby. I can spy on them if you want, invisibly, you know I am great at that.”
“It may come to that, but I was looking for some thoughts or actions we could take immediately to both answer what’s going on and what to do to stop it.” I replied. I looked at Cantolla.
Cantolla sighed, “I’m not sure Tibby, I’ve gotten fairly close to Shuǐ Cǎo, one of the Chinese women who has started working with us in the lab. She seems to be very afraid to talk when any of the other Chinese are around but when they are not she seems more open. Perhaps I can get her to talk to me, but I can’t guarantee anything.”
“See what you can find out. In the mean time we need a way to isolate those pregnant women from Ming and Yǎnjìngshé. Dr. Danjuma wasn’t there a physician with the Chinese on the moon? It seems odd that they would have a colony there with pregnant women and not have a doctor.”
“I asked about that Tibby, most of the women I talked too just hung their heads when I asked, then Yǎnjìngshé spoke up and said the doctor was killed when the allied forces bombed the Moon with THORS HAMMER. At the time it sounded reasonable but then later I realized that the bombing of the Moon wasn’t at that site, it was at their rail gun emplacement much further away.”
“So does anyone have any suggestions for a way, or reason, other than what we just observed, to isolate these women from Ming, at least until we get back to Megelleon?”
“I could claim I found some problems in their pregnancy that I believe is due to the reduced gravity on the Moon and that they need to be kept in the medical area for observation at this time. That might work.” Dr. Danjuma said.
I glanced around the room hoping someone else had something to add, but no one did.
“All right then, doctor I’ll leave it to you to get them into the med unit for observation and Cantolla I want you to see if you can get anything out of… what’s her name?”
“Shuǐ Cǎo!” Cantolla answered.
“Suey Chao then” I answered.
“No Tib,” she said, “Shuǐ Cǎo, not Suey Chao.” Kala corrected me.
“Yeah, whatever… see what you can learn will you?”
“What about Ming and Yǎnjìngshé?” The Commodore asked.
“For right now I want them under surveillance, covertly as much as possible. I want to know what they talk about and who Ming talks to. Find out which of his people are still loyal to him and supporting him. I don’t trust that bastard. If we can get solid evidence that he’s been harming anyone I want him locked up and under guard until we get back to the Federation and then, if there is any way we can, have him prosecuted.
“That actually won’t be too hard,” Kala said. “The rules of Federation law can be upheld in any Federation court aboard any ship belonging to a Federation citizen even if the ship is outside Federation space. It’s up to the Captain of the vessel to decide if he wants his ship run under Federation laws or not, but if he does any Federation law broken by any person while aboard the ship can be tried in a Federation court. You would not be able to charge him with a crime he committed while on the Moon but if he breaks Federation law on your ship he can be charged and convicted.”
“That’s good to know. I just hope if he does do something that no one gets hurt.”
As our meeting was breaking up A’Lappe and Cantolla approached me. “We have some news on what the Tottalax have been doing with the Earth’s atmosphere and water,” A’Lappe began. “We were correct in the assumption they are seeding the planet with nanobots that clean things up, but they are not nanobots like any we have ever seen before and we honestly are at a loss as to what exactly they are made of or how they work. They appear to be organic in nature and dissolve shortly after they fulfill their function.”
“Keep working on it,” I said, “it sounds like the kind of technology that would come in very useful.”
“We agree,” Cantolla said. “We’re hoping to use some of the refugee scientists to assist us in researching it.”
“Great idea. Keep me informed.” I replied.
After our meeting broke up Kala and I decided to have a swim. It had been a few days since we had relaxed in the pool and the idea of nice leisurely laps to loosen up my tense muscles was appealing. Since Kala was starting to show some early signs of her pregnancy I was hoping she wasn’t feeling too competitive and that she would not want to race like she usually did. Since my crash and recovery, there was no way I would beat her and even though I hated to admit it I didn’t want her beating me.
The pool we used was one connected to our private suite so there never was anyone else there; consequently we were surprised when we arrived to find Jenira swimming in our pool. I looked at Kala with a questioning look and she looked back at me and shrugged. Since bringing Jenira aboard the NEW ORLEANS with us, we had pretty much given her free access to us and our accommodations even though she had her own small suite located close to ours. I had never been in her suite but I was sure it was fully equipped and more than adequate; however, with the many pools aboard the ship, I was surprised to find her using ours. On seeing u
s enter Jenira swam to the side of the pool and began signing to us to join her and that the water felt good. Kala undressed quickly and climbed into the pool instead of diving in like she usually did. Even though she was starting to show a slight bulge of pregnancy, she still presented quite a stunning figure and once again I found myself wondering how it was that I was so lucky to have her as my mate. I undressed slowly, I still wasn’t feeling completely comfortable being nude around Jenira, which was strange because I no longer felt awkward being nude around others in the Federation, but something from my taboos from my past still made me feel uncomfortable being naked in the presence of this young woman. Just as I was about to enter the pool Jenira climbed out at the far end and prepared to dive back in to swim the length of the pool under water. For the first time since leaving Alle Bamma I saw her naked again and I was surprised to see she had developed considerably even though just a little over two months had elapsed. Where before she showed only the slightest indication of breasts now were two very ladies-like breasts, and it was evident her hips had widened and presented more feminine curves. I knew from what Dr. Hughes had told me that now that she was no longer taking the drugs the Brotherhood had been giving her that her body would rapidly catch up on its normal growth, but I hadn’t realized just how fast it actually was happening. I quickly glanced away lest I appear to be gawking at her, but I was astounded by how much she had matured physically, and though she was strikingly lovely I didn’t find myself feeling anything sexual about it.
Perhaps it was because I felt more like an older brother to her, I wasn’t really sure, at times I felt like a parent and at other times I had no idea exactly what I felt for her other than a kinship of some sort. I dove into the pool at the opposite end from where Jenira now swam and traveled the length of the pool underwater passing Jenira in the middle as she returned. When I arrived at the far end, I found Kala standing in the water waiting for me.
“What do you think of our young lady?” She inquired while nodding toward Jenira, who had not surfaced and was swimming back toward us.
“She swims very well.” I answered.
“That’s not what I meant,” she continued. “She’s really growing up very fast. Just a few months ago she looked like a small 13-year-old girl, and now she could easily pass for 17 or 18.”
“Isn’t that how old she is?” I replied.
“That’s what the med unit here on the ship says, but it could be off, the drug she was taking interfered with her aging mechanism and makes it difficult for the machinery to give an accurate estimate.”
“She really is quite lovely,” Kala said… and then she sighed just as Jenira did a flip heading back down the pool again. “It’s a shame, well you know, that she will never be able to have any children of her own. Do you think she will ever find a kind and wonderful man and fall in love?” She turned and looked at me as she said this.
“I certainly hope she does. However, if she keeps walking around with those swords strapped to her back she may not have many suitors.” Kala and I both laughed at this.
I started swimming laps, slowly increasing my speed as my muscles accepted the strain of the stronger resistance. Even though I technically was fully healed now I still didn’t feel like I should over exert my new tissue. I was just finishing up my routine when my wrist com began beeping. Kala picked it up and brought it over to the side of the pool for me as I noted that Jenira had left while I was taking my laps. I took the wrist-com from Kala’s out stretched hand.
“Tibby here,” I said.
“Tibby this is Kerabac. Commander Wabussie has sent a message that there’s been another Brotherhood attack on a planetary system in the Federation. From the information he’s sent it was a sizeable fleet that the Brotherhood used with several hundred ships, including two Tottalax ships. They focused their attack on the planet Pegell a major manufacturing planet in the Deceese system. The message received from Pegell came via a GW pod and several of the ships in the attacking fleet appeared to be Federation ships and we can only assume these were ships from the outer regions which mutinied before loyalty testing was accomplished on them. Pegell had a strong defensive force, but the message we received indicated that much of their defensive equipment had been sabotaged and it wasn’t discovered until the attack began; the message indicated that the Pegellians didn’t think they had much of a chance. We have no idea of the outcome as there hasn’t been any communication since. The Admiral ordered two Star Ships, the PURFIRE and the NEATEA as well as the frigates MATLOFFS, TONCROL and TANCERESIS to the area. All these ships have DSC units as well as RMFF’s and cloaking, and all their fighters and patrol ships have cloaking but it will be at least two weeks before they get there. It’s assumed that Pegell has fallen and their solbidyum and the reactor have been taken, there is little hope that Pegell could hold out against the invaders, especially if the Brotherhood had the Tottalax with them.”
“I don’t suppose that we are anywhere near Pegell?” I said to Kerabac.
“We’re nowhere near them Tibby. They’re at the other end of the Federation; it would take us about nine months to get there from here. Commander Wabussie also wanted me to pass on to you that word of your encounters at Goo’Waddle has gotten back to the Federation and Leader Roritat is playing it that you attacked a non-Federation world for no reason other than conquest and personal glory. He is claiming once again that you attacked the Brotherhood unprovoked and that you had allied yourself with Ruwallie Rasson pirates and even the androids which are both known enemies of the Federation. He is calling for a senate hearing of your actions and indicating that you should be tried as an enemy of the Federation.”
“What’s the overall reaction by the public on these accusations?” I inquired.
“From what Wabussie is saying at the moment it’s pretty much evenly divided and there is no real consensus, but it’s possible that by the time you get back you may have to face the Senate in a hearing to defend your actions. Roritat seems determined to make an issue of this. Commander Wabussie said that he, Admiral Regeny and Senator Tonclin, had discussed this matter and think they may have a way to resolve this matter by the time you return.”
After Kerabac disconnected the com link I turned to Kala. “Why do you think Leader Roritat is so set against me?”
“It may not be that he’s against you, Tibby, he doesn’t really know you and from my knowledge of his platform, he is very liberal and he is against war. He has dedicated himself to try to reduce the size of the Federation military claiming that we no longer need it. I think he sees you as a threat to his ideas. I’m sure that once he gets all the facts behind the events that have disturbed him, he will see your actions were not only quite appropriate but were necessary as well.”
“I hope you are right, Kala, but I don’t have a very good feeling about it.”
Kala and I showered and dressed and were leaving the pool area when my wrist com beeped again. “Tibby, here,” I answered.
“Tibby, this is Doctor Danjuma, I have the DNA tests of the expectant Chinese mothers and their fetuses; I thought you would want to know the results.”
“Is the father Ming, like we suspected?” I asked.
“No, but they do all have the same father.”
“Do you know who he is?”
“Yes, I have DNA samples of everyone aboard the ship, the DNA matches that of Ming’s body guard, Láng Shāshǒu.”
This came as a complete surprise to me; I looked at Kala to see her looking at me with equal surprise on her face.
Doctor Danjuma continued. “There is something else that I found in looking over the medical records. All of the Chinese refugees have a vitamin B12 deficiency, all except Ming, Láng and Yǎnjìngshé; their levels are normal.”
“What do you attribute that to?” I asked.
“Diet,” Dr. Danjuma began, “B12 is generally acquired through diet. The average person produces some B12 in their own bodies, but the rest has to be acquired through diet o
r through supplements. B12 isn’t found in vegetables or fruit, it’s only found in meat. The Chinese had no meat in their diets for quite some time as all their meat supplies ran out; they were dependent on vegetables and fruits produced in their hydroponics gardens and greenhouses on the Moon for food.”
“So why don’t Ming, Yǎnjìngshé, and Láng have B12 deficiencies as well?” Kala asked.
“They possibly had a supply of supplements they weren’t sharing with the rest.” The doctor answered.
“Is everyone getting sufficient B12 now that they are on the NEW ORLEANS?"
“They should be. You have a lot of meat available on the ship and your food replicators add B12 and other vitamins and minerals to food dishes so everyone gets a balanced diet. With their diet here it’s only a matter of a few days until everyone’s vitamin and mineral requirements and balances should be normal.”
What the doctor was telling me raised a question in my mind. “Do you think that the deficiencies might have caused the women to miscarry, and that’s why we found no children in the lunar colony? You said you found evidence that a number of the women had shown signs of previous pregnancies.”
“A poor diet could possibly result in miscarriages, but not in this case. The deficiencies were not great enough to result in miscarriages. I don’t think they had miscarriages, either. The evidence to me would indicate the pregnancies went full term.”
“Okay, Doctor, thanks for the update. This gives me more to think about.”
After the doctor had disconnected the call, Kala said, “Tib-- there is something very wrong with all of this.”
I had to agree and replied, “I think so also, but I can’t put the pieces of the puzzle together. None of it makes sense as it is, unless Ming was deliberately mistreating his fellow countrymen simply for the sake of doing so.” There just are too many mysteries. There should have been more men at the lunar base and indications are that there were; we saw plenty of empty accommodation spaces, plus women outnumber men three to one, which doesn't make sense either.”
Solbidyum Wars Saga 4: Too Late for Earth Page 23