Carson Evolved Ch. 08

Staring out the window, Helga was forced to concede that it was possible. "Like a lot of viral vectors, we started with a common virus and made changes to the replication machinery. The 'payload,' if you will, turns the body's immune system against the reproductive system. Specifically, sperm are treated as a foreign body and attacked, making them non-viable. But the delivery system remains largely unchanged. If there's a vaccine out there against the base virus, it could theoretically be used to inoculate against infection."

Salvatore ranted about the breach and railed against Helga for the security lapse. "This was supposed to be your area!" he yelled. Helga just as vehemently denied responsibility. Meanwhile, Jozef was already thinking about how to recover.

How did they even know to look for the information? he wondered. If this effort ended prematurely, Eisenfaust had still accomplished at least some of their goals. There would be other opportunities moving forward. But they needed to be free to pursue them, and a disturbing thought about the information heist arose in his mind.

"Quiet you two. We need to do a security sweep, and we need to do it now. Someone had to have tipped off the hackers for them to even know what they were looking for. We need to plug that leak before we can move forward. Look for physical and electronic surveillance—cameras, voice recorders, even computer viruses. It shouldn't be hard to find the source of the leak; we've rarely discussed things in person or communicated at a distance for just this reason. The hacker has given us a week. We'll use that time to track down the blackmailers and eliminate the threat. But we have to find the source. Got it?" Helga and Sal looked at each other before replying that they understood.

As the meeting broke up, Jozef began to have a sinking feeling that he knew exactly where to look. After all, as he'd said, there were only so many places the information could have come from.

*****

Tilda was simultaneously ecstatic and horrified to receive the data from the hacker. It hadn't been cheap; fortunately, Orriri had vast resources and this wasn't the first time she'd utilized a hacker in the course of her SSH duties. She couldn't have been prepared for what they'd find in the files at NeoGenesys, however. She'd had a sneaking suspicion that Helga Lund was part of the shadow cabal even before watching Jordan's video. Now that they had direct evidence of her company's involvement in the ongoing reproductive crisis, Tilda could hardly wait to bury the vicious old crone.

Several miles away from where Tilda was poring over the stolen data and making plans for countering Eisenfaust, Edwards was watching the harbor through a pair of binoculars. The Stella Nuova, a cargo ship registered to Clemonte Transport was docking next to its sister ship, the Stella Rossa, at pier 26. Its cargo was manifested as parts for light- and heavy-duty transport vehicles. Edwards knew, however, that buried within the many containers on deck, was one that contained enough small and heavy arms to supply a militia.

Surveying the area, visualizing what was about to happen, Edwards was reminded of the words of a Union General of the American Civil War, William Tecumseh Sherman: "War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say, let us give them all they want." Checking his watch, Edwards spoke into his throat mike: "Go."

As he watched, the electronically controlled engines of the Stella Nuova immediately began churning faster, the bow of the ship headed directly for the middle of the stationary Stella Rossa. Edwards could imagine the consternation and panic among the bridge crew as they realized they had no control of the vessel and a collision was imminent. As he watched, small specks that could only be crewmembers leaping to safety began appearing over the sides of the vessel.

Then, there was a blinding flash. The contact charge that had been placed against the hull of the moored vessel acted much like the old contact mines of the second world war. The bow of Nuova initiated the explosion that broke the back of the Rossa and set fire to both vessels. While he watched, the Rossa snapped in half and settled onto the floor of the bay. The Nuova experienced flooding in its forward compartments, dragging the bow towards the sea floor and raising the aft end out of the water, its propellers still spinning rapidly. Containers were breaking free and tumbling into the water. The operation had gone perfectly. Edwards lowered the glasses and softly said, "Clear." All that remained was to wait for the authorities to discover the smuggled weaponry during the investigation and Clemonte Transport would be neutralized, at least temporarily.

As he headed back to his vehicle, Edwards idly wondered how long Tilda would wait before launching the third prong of their attack against Eisenfaust. That was more of a misinformation campaign, and the timing would be delicate.

*****

A week after the harbor attack, Carson watched in amusement as news reports indicated confusion on the parts of authorities as to the purpose and responsibility for the attacks on Clemonte Transport. Simultaneously, authorities had announced the seizure of an undisclosed number of illegal weapons discovered in the cargo. Salvatore Clemonte's company was in serious damage control mode, denying all knowledge of the guns and vowing to cooperate with law enforcement to identify the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, Tilda had passed the stolen data from NeoGenesys through Sam to her father, who was hard at work trying to identify the base virus and develop an anti-viral treatment to minimize or eliminate the symptoms of the Eisenfaust virus. Alexander seemed cautiously optimistic about their prospects. Carson thought that if anyone would have an idea of where to start, it was his father-in-law.

Turning away from the vid-screen, he surveyed his family. He loved watching his wives feed his infant daughters and sons. Amelia and her half-brothers, Marcus, Mason, and Connor, were active, healthy babies, rapidly putting on weight. Carson was finding that he really enjoyed their 6- and 7-month old selves. Sleeping mostly through the night now, they were diligently working towards sitting up, tasting everything in their surroundings, and grinning broadly with slobbery smiles that proudly displayed their two bottom teeth.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride as he observed how the Lionesses drew together in support of the newest mother in the group, Elsa. Home after a few days in the hospital, she was still recovering from delivering his daughter, Selma. The more experienced mothers in the group helped take some of the load off, and with many lactating women in the house, breastfeeding was more of a communal task than individual.

Watching Elsa now, Carson could scarcely believe the change that had come over her. Still flirtatious and playful, her brazenness was toned down in favor of a more mature persona that exuded love and affection. He would never forget the look on her face when the nurses had presented their daughter to her in the delivery room. With a huge smile on her face and tears coursing down her cheeks, she looked at Carson and said, "Big Daddy, look what we made! She's so beautiful!"

Carson had paused from mopping her brow and affectionately said, "Just like her mother."

Seeing an open seat next to his mother-in-law, he sat next to Helena as she wistfully rubbed her belly and watched the new mothers interacting with their babies. Concerned at the expression on her face, he asked, "Everything okay?"

She didn't look at him when she said, "I wonder where they are now."

"Where who are?" asked Carson.

"My other babies. I had two other babies before Mara and Mila. Another girl and my only boy. I wanted to name him 'Charles,' after my father. But I gave them up. They were adopted out, planted with couples that were carefully screened and unable to have children of their own. At the time, I didn't even hesitate. I knew I'd have more, and I was enthusiastic about the project. Now...I regret giving them up."

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her head. "I'm sorry that they asked you to do that. But you helped families that couldn't do it on their own. In that way, you made the world a better place, no matter what happens to those children. That has to make you feel a little better, doesn't it?"

Helena smiled. "It does make me feel a little better. I could have Orriri track them down, you know. But I haven't had the courage. Even if I found a way to contact them, what would I say? 'Hello. I'm the woman who birthed you and gave you up to promote a society-altering agenda?' That would really go over well," she scoffed.

"You could be right," he said. "But you shouldn't torture yourself over it either. You made a choice that was right for you at the time, and if the families were as carefully selected as you said, they've probably had a wonderful life so far, completely ignorant that they weren't born to their parents."

She kissed his cheek and laid her head on his chest. "Thank you. I think the pregnancy is making my hormones a little erratic."

Carson laid his hand on her belly, and said, "Just a couple of months to go. I can't wait to meet her. Have you decided on a name yet?"

"I was wondering what you thought about the name, 'Aubrey?'"

Carson looked at her in surprise. "What made you choose that name?"

Helena laid her hand over his. Softly, she said, "That was your mother's name, wasn't it?"

He hadn't thought of his parents in quite some time. The pain of losing his parents in a transport collision just after his 17^th birthday had been traumatic. In response, he'd locked away everything related to Thomas and Aubrey Jayne behind a thick steel door in his mind, never to be opened again. To hear his mother's name again after so long cracked that door open just a tiny bit, and he wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that flooded out.

A tear leaked down his cheek and he murmured, "I hardly think about them because it hurts too much. I miss them sooo much. I wonder what they'd think of all...this," he said, gesturing around him. Staring into his lap, he quietly asked, "Do you think they'd be proud of me?"

Her heart was breaking as she watched Carson struggle with his emotions. Helena hadn't meant to cause him pain. She'd thought to honor his mother precisely because of the man that he was; she was grateful to his parents for what they'd done with him. "Oh Carson," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Of course, they'd be proud of you. I know that if they were here right now, they'd be amazed at how wonderfully you've turned out, and how much the women in your life love you. How could they not be proud of you?"

Carson sniffled and thanked her. Helena smoothed his hair. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought it would be an honor to name my daughter...our daughter...after the woman who raised you. I can't thank her in person, but I can honor her memory."

He smiled. "You don't have anything to apologize for. They've been dead for a long time; it just caught me off-guard. And, I'm deeply touched that you would honor my mother this way. I would love it if we could name our daughter Aubrey." He reached out and stroked her cheek. "This is why I love you, and why you're the matriarch of my Pride. You're always thinking of ways to make us all better, each individual." Helena blushed under his praise and nuzzled his hand in response.

If Sam and Carson had staged that scene of domestic bliss, it wouldn't have been a more perfect moment for Aunt Cara to walk in. When Henry escorted her from the door into the living area, she was taken aback at the warmth on display in the room. From the relaxed way that Carson was holding one woman on the sofa, to the happy chatter that four women exchanged while forming a de facto playpen for the infants, there was a sense of love and peace among the group. If she hadn't been forewarned, Cara would never have believed that all these women could share a man between them so placidly.

"Cara!" called Sam in surprise. She hopped to her feet and came over to hug her aunt. "I didn't know you were coming tonight. Is everything okay?"

Cara smiled. "We need to talk, but the short answer is, everything's fine. I guess I just wanted to catch you by surprise a little, see if things were really the way you described them out here."

Sam took her by the arm. "I guess it's a good thing I added you to the access list then, isn't it? Come on, let me introduce you to everyone." Making the rounds, Cara was amazed at how quickly she felt like a part of the group. Each woman seemed genuinely pleased to meet her, and even more pleased when Sam said that she might be interested in helping them with their 'project.'

Carson greeted her warmly as well, and he experienced the same instantaneous swelling of desire for her when he hugged her as he had at the restaurant. Still, he suspected that she was there in a more observatory role, and so he left her in Sam's care. He frowned slightly when he realized that her presence would put in a kink in the discussion that he'd planned on having with his Pride this evening.

After thinking about it for a second, he sent a thought to Sam. Do you trust Cara enough to talk about project business in front of her?

I'm not sure she's ready for everything, she replied. What did you want to talk about?

There are a couple of women who seem to be interested in joining the Pride, and I wanted to get everyone's opinions, he responded.

He could see that she was considering the options. After a moment, she sent this thought: It might help Cara make her decision if she sees how we handle this discussion. I know she's concerned about jealousy and stuff. As long as we don't talk about the bigger social picture or actually talk about the project, would it be okay?

Thinking about her suggestion, Carson thought it was a good workaround to the problem. He winked at Sam and said, "Ladies? We need to have a family meeting. Cara, we weren't expecting you tonight, but you're more than welcome to sit in, if you'd like. You're a member of the extended family anyway." Cara was surprised to be included, but curious nonetheless.

As the ladies arranged themselves for the discussion to come, Carson considered his approach. As an attorney, he was used to parsing his words carefully, so it wasn't as if he were in unfamiliar territory. Cara's presence was a bit of hindrance, but not insurmountable. He looked at her before beginning and said, "I understand that Sam has given you some idea of what our life is like here?" When she nodded, he continued, saying, "All I ask is that you keep what we discuss here in confidence. We're not ashamed, but neither do we advertise our lifestyle. Does that make sense?" Again, Cara nodded, watching him curiously.

Turning to the group at large, Carson said, "Some of you," looking at Sam, "have been pushing hard for me to begin a relationship with Corinne." He turned to Cara and explained, "Corinne is my secretary at work." To everyone, he said, "You all know how I feel about casual relationships. She and I have flirted for a long time, and recently, things have gotten a little more physical."

A few grins and murmurs broke out at that news. Sam opened her mouth to speak, but Elsa beat her to the punch. "Just how physical, Big Daddy?"

Almost embarrassed, Carson glanced at Cara and said, "More than a kiss and less than intercourse. That's all I'll say about that. That goes for all of you. I don't discuss what you and I do with anyone outside the group at all, and I try to keep that part of my life as private as I can for each of you. I think you all deserve that respect."

"Sir, you can tell as many people as you want how you use me," Mila said with a grin. "I don't mind. I tell as many women as I can how well you take care of me." The rest of the pride smiled. Of all the Lionesses, she was the most subservient, and yet perhaps also the fiercest proponent of Carson's talents.

He smirked a little, knowing her submissive streak was on display. "No, My Mila, I suppose you wouldn't mind me telling the world. But that still leaves it up to me, and I prefer not to. Anyway, that's beside the point. I wanted to tell you all that I've decided that I'm ready to take things to the next level with Corinne, but I need to know that we're all on the same page. If anyone has the slightest reservation about her joining our family, I want to know about it." He studied their faces, but the Lionesses were looking at each other as if surprised that there was a need for discussion.

Finally, Mara spoke up. "Carson, my only question is, what took you so long? She loves you, and she has for a while now. I think I speak for all of us when I say, it's about time. When does she want to move in?"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on. There is something else we need to discuss, something that I realized earlier this week. Corinne is different from all of you in one key respect: she's not part of..." he stopped himself before he brought up the project. "That is to say, each of you has a certain status. That makes things more complicated, doesn't it?" The ladies of his Pride realized that he was right that Corinne's status as an outsider would impact their offspring.

After a few minutes of discussion, Helena spoke up. "It's really a moot point. Whether Corinne receives that status or not, your children will be raised as part of this family. The rules were designed for a different, less traditional kind of lifestyle. They might not be part of the plans in the future, but your children will still benefit from the resources the others have. And you and I both know that you won't allow them to be treated as inferior in any way, so I don't see any problem."

A chorus of murmured agreement met her comments. "Alright. So, we're all in agreement. Corinne will be invited to join our family? Any objections?" He hadn't anticipated any opposition, and seeing none, he moved on to the more problematic topic.

"The second thing I wanted to talk about concerns a surprise meeting that I had last week. Is anyone familiar with Aria Clemonte?"

Quinn said, "She's a friend of a friend to my little sister, I think."

"Didn't she marry Jordan van Heuval a while back?" queried Tilda.

Sam shuddered. "Have I told you lately how much I love you for not being Jordan?"

"Is Jordan really that bad?" asked Carson. "He seems like he's trying to start over."

"The problem is, he's spent years building a bad reputation," said Mara. "He spent so long making an ass of himself that it's hard for anyone who's known him for any period of time to view him any differently."

"Why are you asking about Aria, dear?" asked Helena.

"She came to my office late last week with an unusual request. I'm not sure how to respond, and we haven't really had a chance to meet like this since." He paused and said, "She wants me to give her a baby."

That statement apparently caught everyone off-guard, because silence reigned supreme for a minute or two. He went on to relay the content of their meeting, skipping over the parts about what he'd seen in her mind. Carson was adamant that he was not going to influence this discussion because he was curious about their true feelings. So he resolved to wait them out. He noticed, though, that once they began their discussion, there didn't seem to be much question that he was going to do it. Mostly, talk centered on whether or not she should be brought into the family.