Founders Ch. 88

"I can't betray my husband, my husband Aiden," Anming gulped and choked, almost retching. "I can't compound my cruelty with more cruelty, won't."

"It won't be cruel," said a voice from the darkness, Aiden's voice. "Yes, I knew what you were up to when I saw you go after Zach. I love you, Anming, which means foremost I want you to be happy. Go with him, for God's sake. I love you, but I'll be happier for it." Victor, who had been weaned by now, was asleep in a bassinet carried by Aiden. He handed the bassinet to Zach.

Anming stood up and dusted herself off carefully. As she dusted, she thought for a few minutes. She produced a wet wipe and wiped her face and hands, which were covered with dust from the ground.

She reached out slowly and clasped Zach's hand. He felt her shaking like a leaf. She turned to face Aiden. "Very well, my husband... my husband Aiden... I will do as you direct. I will see you tomorrow evening so that we may discuss this further." With that, she led Zach off toward the apartments at a rapid pace.

When the four women of Trigonometry came home later, they found Zach's door locked. A woman was crying out shrilly and desperately in orgasm behind it. The screams were unrecognizable, more like those of a wild animal than a woman. "It doesn't sound familiar. Who could it be?" Colby mused.

"It's definitely Anming," said Berte. "Definitely."

"How could it be?" said Colleen. "It doesn't sound remotely like her. It sounds unrestrained, abandoned, wild."

"Whoever it is just shouted 'fuck your dirty trollop' in Mandarin," said Berte.

"If that's Anming, something fundamental has changed," said Colleen.

"Sounds like a woman enjoying life to the utmost," said Khushi.

"Exactly," said Colleen.

The next morning, the sounds of unrestrained passion continued. Colby knocked to see if they wanted breakfast, but there was no answer other than continued cries of pleasure. At breakfast, they confirmed it must be Anming in there.

That evening, Anming and Zach emerged for dinner and to talk with Aiden. Anming vowed to both men she would prove a woman really could have two masters. She promised to resort to any depraved limits of human behavior required. As she described this, she licked her lips, and looked excited by the challenge, sexually and otherwise.

Practically speaking, this looked like Anming resuming her former place and duties around the Trigonometry household. During the day, she worked at a table next to Aiden's in the mining workspace. Whenever Anming saw that Aiden wasn't completely content, she would drag him away somewhere private for a "break." This happened several times a week, but not every day.

Whenever either husband requested sex or anything else within her power, she supplied it immediately and joyfully. She made the same promise to each man. If they ever wanted sex at the same time, she would regrettably be forced to supply both at once. "How would you do that?" asked Zach.

"Any way you both wanted me," she said.

"I remember us discussing this. Wouldn't it terrify you?"

"Not with my two husbands." It looked like the prospect thrilled her.

Colleen told both men that miraculously, Anming had forgiven herself, and no longer needed whippings or other torture from Alexis to assuage her guilt. "Perhaps I've learned that life is guilt," said Anming on this topic. "To be human is to be guilty."

Zach broached the subject with Aiden, but Aiden was shy about the idea. Zach didn't push it. Such things had to be agreeable to all.

The following spring, Alexis's pregnancy party on Capricornus 13, 232, Aanya's on Makara 5, and Colette's on Aquarius 6 filled out the crew's second wave of ten babies. Colby was the only crewmate to opt out because of her upcoming two year journey to Earth.

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November 20, 2045 (Aquarius 7, 232)

Dear Zach,

Colby invited me to come to Mars on the next rocket. It leaves in three months. If I come, I will not be bringing a boyfriend. I will, however, be bringing your daughter Giselle. Do you think there's a place for me there? Do you think I'll enjoy it? I suppose if I don't like it, I can come back to Earth after two years. What do you think?

Sincerely,

Becky Baines Esq.

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Aquarius 8, 232

Dear Becky,

Sincerely? Sincerely! I love you, dummy! Get your ass out here! I have eight bedrooms, and only five of them are occupied. That will dwindle to four by the time you arrive. Plenty of room! If you prefer, we can take it slow and date for a while. However, I think we'll realize in seconds we click like we always have. However you want to proceed, there's free childcare!

Love,

Zach

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In the succeeding months, ten babies were born, six girls and four boys. Berte's came first, a boy she named Jan Carson Kaufman after her father.

In the midst of these joyful months, while Aanya, Alexis, and Colette were still pregnant, something happened. It was in the month of Taurus, on their one Martian year anniversary of landing on Mars, Taurus 10.

Jan was about five months old and being weaned. Berte came to Zach and said, "I want to go on a trip for a week. Can you take care of Jan while I'm away?"

"Sure," said Zach. "We have plenty of expressed milk in the fridge, and the others will help. Also, Jan is taking well to formula. Where are you going?"

"Oh, just around a few nearby stars. I'm testing a new propulsion system."

"Around nearby stars?!?! That sounds dangerous! Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Relax, Zach. I've tested a dozen robotic prototypes. The system works perfectly. It's just that you can't even navigate out of the solar system by remote control. The time lag is too great. I have to test it in person."

"Okay... You be safe, okay?"

"I solemnly promise you I'll stay safe. I'll only be away a little over a week."

Three months later, they heard from her.

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Dear Crewmates,

At first, I was tentative in planning my first voyage. I figured I would go slow and just perform an interplanetary maneuver here in the solar system. But at the last minute, I decided to make a serious test of my invention. The Spatial Aperture Propulsion drive (SPAP) is based on Anming's Theory of Everything. In fact, it is experimental proof her model of reality is accurate.

Unfortunately, I was so excited to get underway that I failed to account for the effects of relativistic time. In my reference frame, the voyage will take a little over a week. In your reference frame, about fifty Martian years or a hundred Earth years will pass. I expect that most of you will be dead by the time I get back. Whoops!

I can't change my flight plan now. Calculating a new path would take longer in my reference frame than staying the course, unfortunately. A tricky business, finding the perfect set of heavenly bodies to quantum entangle with.

Zach, I love you, and I'll miss probably never seeing you alive again. Please raise Anna and Jan for me. Chances are good I'll meet them again before they die, so that will be good. They'll be able to tell me whether you did a good job, so I'll check up on you!

The patents have already been filed on Mars and with the various Earth governments. These have been assigned to the corporation. Have fun raking in the cash! Speaking of cash, please hold my assets in trust for me until my return.

Feel free to send me messages. I'll try to keep up, but since you guys are experiencing time about 5,000 times faster than I am, I could easily fall behind. I will try to get back to you in your respective lifetimes, but it may be difficult. Even so, send me the messages. I promise I'll read them all eventually.

Have fun, and don't worry about me. I'm having a great time!

Love and Kisses,

Berte Kaufman.

PS: Zach, upon my return, it is my tentative plan to boink one or more of your great grandsons. Please make sure there is a wide selection of them available to choose from!

(To be continued)