Founders Ch. 61

61: Monday August 10, 2043 0152 hours MST: Getaway

At half past midnight, Trigonometry arrived at Colby's place high in the Colorado Rockies. Colleen had needed to stay in Houston to run things, but everybody else was there, including Colby. Berte had parted with Ben for the time being. Ben had flown back to Portland. Aanya's fertile week was done, but she was seemingly hornier than ever. They'd taken a commercial flight amid much press fanfare. Reporters were right there on the flight with them. Even so, Aanya had pushed Zach into the tiny restroom to join the mile high club. The stewardess had asked indignantly what they had been doing in there. Zach had answered shakily, "Just some PR for the mission."

Zach had not seen Anming since her overnight with Caine. She changed the subject away from it during the trip from Houston. There were hickeys livid and visible on her neck underneath her ultrablack choker. Aanya warned him there were bruises and other marks on the rest of her as well. She didn't want him to get upset at bedtime. Other than insisting she was fine, nobody knew anything else about her adventure.

Colette, not being an official wife, was not there. Anming, who had taken over arrangements from Colby, had insisted on this. Instead, by agreement with X, she had been left in Alexis's capable hands.

Although Colby had called it a cabin, it was more like an estate. Right beside the lake was a two story geodesic glass structure she insisted was the actual cabin. Glass doors folded back, and they drove right into the underground garage. She had called ahead to the home system. The cabin was already warm.

"Let's see it!" Berte giggled. Colby opened double doors in the garage to reveal a fusion bottle. Berte pored over the status monitors.

"Very impressive," said Zach. "Not everybody has a nuke in their basement." Also in the garage loomed a giant military-looking vehicle with a snowplow on the front. An elegant black SUV was parked in the other corner next to a gunmetal gray handmade European sports car. "You really are a supervillain, aren't you?"

"Enough with the supervillain theory," Colby said. "I just like nice things."

It was well past bedtime, so Colby showed them to the master bedroom. It was spectacular. One wall of the bedroom was the sloped glass geodesic dome with an expansive view of the lake. The king size bed tucked in one corner looked massive and comfortable. A central fireplace was surrounded by cushy rugs for intimate moments. A large bubbling sunken Jacuzzi was over by the dome wall for a great view. There was an intricately hand-tiled master bathroom with a giant tub and shower. Colby herself retired to one of the guest bedrooms on the ground floor.

Zach checked his text messages before bed. Alexis sent him a message that Sylvia, the overdue pregnant woman from the desert, had her baby. Sylvia thanked him again for what turned out to be starting her labor. Also, Alexis said her mom said hi. Her mom told Alexis in confidence that he had been the fuck of a lifetime. She added, though, that her mom was just as much of a pervert as he was. Her mom had been trying to get her boyfriends into the sack for years and had only succeeded twice.

Zach got a fuming text message from Becky. She was frustrated that it was her fertile week and he was out of town. He wrote back to her in a text she would receive in the morning. He argued the trip had been long-planned. He said it was critical. He was having relationship problems with a wife she hadn't met. This might be his only chance to mend things. All true.

Zach got hopeful sexts from Beatrice. She said she and Eric had taken some nude shots of her to entice him. There was one of her smiling in white lingerie, bra, panties, garter, stockings, and heels. There was a sequence of her in stages of undress showing off her sexy bits. The final shot was of her in heels and nothing else. Her eyes were shut, two fingers in her splashing cunny, obviously in the throes of orgasm. Very hot! There was a long text about how she was longing to feel his vigorous lovemaking at Monday lunchtime. He had to disappoint her and say he was gone in Colorado all week. He promised to wear her out the next week. Perhaps Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only so there would be something left for Eric on the weekends?

Zach proposed this because he'd gotten a text from Emma. She asked whether they could get together on a regular basis. He explained he was traveling that week. He proposed Tuesday and Thursday lunchtimes starting the next week.

Zach was glad of Aanya's warning, for Anming's naked body at bedtime did disturb him. Anming had several minor cuts, scrapes, bruises, and hickeys, including hickeys on her breasts. She had never had the tiniest tattoo. Now she had a great big tramp stamp on her lower back that read "Thanks for sharing, buddy!" He knew it was temporary, since it didn't have the angry red tinge of an actual brand new tattoo. It was quite realistic and convincing, though. He wondered how long he'd have to look at it while fucking her from behind. She had a much smaller temporary tattoo on her pudenda with an arrow pointing towards her vulva. It read, "Word of advice: Put it in the front one to get a baby." Evidently Caine had noticed Anming's slightly disfigured anus and assumed it was from constant anal fucking. But one thing was the most distressing of all by far. To make way for the temporary tattoo in front, Caine had shaved Anming bare.

After making his cunnilingual rounds, a bit teary but still gratefully, Zach took Anming. She whimpered cozily under him through several orgasms. Aanya and Berte were cuddled to them on either side. Luckily, there was a big pile of fluffy hand towels on the bedside. He had a big load for Anming that easily overflowed her and kept excitedly pumping out of him. His body, at least, wanted to reclaim her for his own.

Zach was always horny in new places. Overnight became like a game of hot potato for the three ladies. Mostly, Aanya "lost" with a happy gurgle and got delightedly choked and spunked.

Berte did open her legs once. After Zach finished, she asked him to stay in and hold her and kiss her, and he did. She told him if there was anything to talk or cry about, this would be a good time. He said he loved her and was enjoying her lovemaking choices. He told her he was sad about the situation with Colby, but feeling optimistic. He said he was upset that Anming was shaved bare. Berte pointed out that now hers was fully grown again. By then, he'd gotten excited about remaining inside her and went again in her.

Berte confessed to Zach that she sorely missed Ben. She said she had greatly missed Zach's "more frisky" lovemaking, but... But she now desperately missed all of Ben's cuddling. In contrast, because of his frisky nature, Zach's cuddles were fleeting. It seemed he was always horny to get inside her again. This time, they fell asleep cuddled together, him still inside her but softening, with a towel underneath.

Everybody got up late. Colby and Aanya cooked them all a big breakfast in the open kitchen. Zach, Berte, and Anming looked on and chatted. Zach said after breakfast that he felt like it was time for another nap. Colby put another mug of coffee in his hand and towed him away. It was time for their first scheduled one-on-one meeting.

Colby took him out to the middle of the lake in a motorboat and shut off the engine. They floated. She said, "I've always dreamed of bringing you out here."

"Since we speculated about coming here together?" asked Zach.

"No, before then," said Colby. "Remember the first time you brought me a square of chocolate?"

"I absolutely remember that," said Zach.

"After that," said Colby.

"We'd barely met," said Zach.

"Look who's talking," said Colby. "I idly complained that I could never eat my favorite chocolate because the bars are too big. You went and bought a rare candy bar just to break off one square of it to give to me."

"Well, you were my next door neighbor on base, and you looked like you needed chocolate," said Zach. "I didn't want you to blow anything up in there and take out the environs." They both chuckled.

"I investigated you online," said Colby.

"I'm flattered I rated," said Zach.

"As the chocolate piled up, so did my search history on you," said Colby.

"I still have half a box of bars," said Zach.

"Half a BOX?" said Colby.

"Yes, after I had searched all over Houston for the first two, I ordered a box online," said Zach.

"Things were so simple then," said Colby.

"And perfect," said Zach.

"Why did the squares stop?" asked Colby.

"You started hiding," said Zach.

"After I got my period," said Colby.

"Our relationship had evolved," said Zach.

"Things got complicated quickly," said Colby. "I'm sorry I called you immature, Zach."

"I probably am," said Zach. "I try to be less mercurial, but it seems there's all this chaos swirling around me all the time. A lot of expectations. A lot of people I don't want to let down. If you ask me to treat a patient, I can do that. Other than that, I'm just a guy trying to do the right thing. I'm trying to be worthy of the hope being placed in me. It's above my pay grade."

"From the moment I conceived, my emotions have been raw," said Colby. "I didn't understand it for several days, it being so subjective. I feel that in our recent interactions, you unfairly caught some of that."

"Are you trying to apologize?" asked Zach.

"At the same time, I said some things I can't take back," said Colby.

"Sure you can," said Zach.

"Let me rephrase that. I said some things I won't take back because I still believe them," said Colby.

"Now we're getting somewhere. Like what?" asked Zach.

"Like that you don't really care about me much, you just want a convenient fuck," said Colby.

"How can you say that?" said Zach. "You said 'let's love each other', and I said 'I'm in'. You said 'let's raise a child together on Mars', and I said 'can't wait'. You said 'I'm living with you now', and I said 'welcome'. What part of that suggests fucktoy to you?"

"The part where all we ever did was fuck!" yelled Colby.

"We were trying to get you pregnant!" shouted Zach.

"Before that!" yelled Colby.

"There was no 'before that'," said Zach. "We've only been together a month and a few days, Colby. And I've been busy! If you don't mind. Trying to get everyone else pregnant, too!"

"Calm down," said Colby. Zach chuckled at this.

"You're making some sense," said Colby. "But what I don't understand is how it went from feeling ecstatic that you were the perfect one for me forever to feeling so empty inside."

"Don't underestimate the mood-altering power of hormone changes," said Zach.

"It's more than that, I'm sure of it," said Colby.

Something from some psychology course in the distant past was coming back to Zach. "Let me ask this," he said, "How do you know someone loves and appreciates you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Colby.

"Some people need to hear the words 'I love you' and the like. Others, like me, need our loved ones to hang out with us. Some people feel loved when our loved ones do things for us. Gifts symbolize love for others. Some people feel loved through physical contact. That's also a big one for me. I'm probably about 50 / 50 wanting to spend time and wanting to hug, kiss, et cetera."

"Et cetera my ass," said Colby.

"That too," said Zach. Colby scowled at him. He added, "As far as I know, all guys are driven to a greater or lesser extent by the last one."

"You think?" said Colby.

"So you're switching to women then?" said Zach. "I can't blame you. They're much better than men. Men suck."

"Not very well," Colby chortled.

"You're evading my question," said Zach. "What thing or combination of those things communicates love to you? Or maybe something else?"

"What's coming to me most strongly was when you were bringing me the one square of chocolate on the way to work," said Colby.

"Was it the gift of it?" asked Zach.

"No it was that you were enabling me to responsibly enjoy something I love," said Colby. "I can't buy those things for myself. I just gobble the whole thing and feel fat and guilty for a day. It was like you understood me, at least a bit of me. You were there assisting me in loving life."

"Seems like you feel loved by someone doing things for you," said Zach.

"That doesn't feel wrong," said Colby.

"It's starting to make sense," said Zach. "Like when you moved in with me, you were saying 'look at me doing all this stuff for you'. I was thinking 'I'll allow it,' because it just doesn't ring my bell."

"Or when I wouldn't see you after our first time," said Colby. "You must have been going crazy if you get love from hanging out together."

"Why do you think I was calling you five times a day?" said Zach.

"And I thought you just wanted my body," said Colby.

"Well, I did," said Zach, "but not just your body."

"Well," said Colby, "you feel loved by hanging out and being touched. That's consistent with your behavior. It's consistent with what you were trying to give me to tell me you love me. You know, this will sound stupid. But I think it's really right."

"What?" asked Zach.

"Just bring me my piece of goddamn chocolate every day and I'll love you forever," said Colby.

Zach did not ask for further clarification. He would figure out the logistics later. "Your wish is my command."

"I knew it was some damn thing," said Colby, clucking at herself. "Could it really be that simple? Given we've only been together a month, yep. I can wait for the expert level relationship problems. I can wait and wait."

"Me too," said Zach.

"Okay," Colby sighed. "Let's get you all squared away." She pulled down her shorts and panties in a single motion. She had controlled herself for so long, but now she was wet and shaking to have it. A few minutes later, her orgasmic cries started up and reverberated across the lake.

"I don't think that's a bird," said Berte to Aanya. They were by the lakeside with Anming, skipping stones.

Colby and Zach returned bashfully to the dock given all the noise they'd been making out on the lake. They told the others they were in search of a particular chocolate bar. Everybody joined in on the shopping mission. Colby drove. Zach was in the passenger seat, calling ahead on the phone. The other three women were goofing off like children in the back seat, mooing at the cows and such. They were all so happy to see that Colby and Zach were apparently together again and happily working together. They hadn't actually witnessed any kissing or anything yet, though. They'd heard some very encouraging sounds from out on the lake. Somebody whose name started with a 'C' had at least received something that also started with 'C.' Nobody was asking any questions. Questions would come after the chocolate, perhaps.

To a certain extent all physicians, including Zach, are masters of logistics. Often things came down to finding a certain combination of medicines as quickly as possible. He called pharmacies to enlist their assistance. The women heard his side of the call. "Hi, may I speak to the pharmacist? I'm a physician. Yes. Hello. It's Doctor Zach Carson. Yes, that one. This might seem an odd request, but I need to find the closest location of a particular bar of chocolate." Zach gave the name and particulars. "No need to ask, right? Yes, there's four of them here in the car with me. Urgency? Well, so far they haven't torn me limb from limb, but you know." Zach looked into the back seat, and the three of them stuck out their tongues at him. "It's touch and go," he reported.

While they were driving, Zach got a chance to discreetly check his messages. There was a frustrated message from Becky saying that if he was having new relationship problems, he should have sicced her on the woman in question instead of disappearing for a week. That way both of their problems would have been solved more reliably. He thanked her and told her he might have worked it out. Off or on though, the trip would have happened. He texted her that if she was sharing their bed, there might have been a chance of her being asked along...

Beatrice expressed sadness Zach would be gone for the week. She wrote that Eric was trying to cheer her up by taking her shopping for a new vibrator. She'd owned one before marrying Eric, but it had broken, and she had never bothered to replace it. The Monday, Wednesday, and Friday schedule sounded like the right amount for her. She wrote she would miss him until then. He texted her back that he would miss her too. He was thinking about her, especially after the sexy photos she'd sent.

Emma had sent back a quick text accepting the Tuesday and Thursday schedule. She texted she was looking forward to seeing Zach the following week.

The pharmacist called them back. The closest of this specific chocolate bar the pharmacist's network could identify was in Boulder. It wasn't in the pharmacy, but in a shop down the street from it. The pharmacist had run down the street and bought one. He had it in hand to give to the astronauts when they arrived. It was a three hour drive even at the creative speeds Colby drove. They arrived and got the bar from the pharmacist, who would take no money for it. They all autographed the back of his lab coat with a sharpie.

The pharmacy was in a shopping area that included not just the candy shop that had stocked the chocolate bar. There were lots of other interesting shops besides. But they had to get back to the cabin. They did buy five more of the particular chocolate bars at the candy shop, though. The adage "better safe than sorry" clearly applied in this case. On the way back, they stopped at the pharmacy Zach had called. They all signed the back of that pharmacist's lab coat as well. The three women in the back seat split one of the chocolate bars among them and pronounced it delicious. Zach asked for just one square of their bar and gave it to Colby. She savored the square in her mouth with a smile of complete joy and many smoldering sidelong glances at Zach. Six hours after they had left, they were back at the cabin.

It was dinnertime. Aanya and Colby were the cooks, with the rest of them kibitzing. Zach kept one chocolate bar for a sure supply. The other four went in the kitchen cabinet for desperate late night cravings as needed. Zach did a back of the envelope calculation. He doubled it, because other wives would also need occasional chocolate. He filed a mission weight requisition for 20 kg of the particular chocolate bars. It was approved immediately with a note from Colleen, "Great idea!"

Zach called Colleen and put her on speaker. He and Colby told everyone about their conversation. Colleen reminded him, "Never argue with pregnant woman." The number of crewmates he could argue with was therefore rapidly dwindling. Colleen said she wished she could be there. Incidentally, she was having dinner with Mateo, her crewmate of "Abandon all hope" fame from her previous Mars mission. She asked that he speculatively be added to the approved dalliances list. She didn't want to be out of compliance if something unexpected and anomalous happened between them. Her request was approved by the group. Zach was left thinking that she was not just being scrupulous. She wanted this guy between her knees again. Well, she was obviously lonely today, and he was not one to complain.

Colleen had a question for Zach. It was not a planned thing that eleven of them were going to be pregnant during the voyage to Mars. Would they have sufficient food? Zach answered that women only needed slightly more calories during pregnancy, 100 calories a day in the first trimester and 300 calories in the second and third trimesters. For eleven pregnant women, that was enough calories for one additional crewmate. There would only be twelve of them. The Interplanetary Vehicle was built for sixteen and had a food cycle that would support twenty. A significant amount of emergency rations were stockpiled on the Interplanetary Vehicle on top of this. They would be fine.