Impregnated by Alien Plants

"Dunlop, you're brilliant!" Sam reached over and gave him a hug. Jack studied the floor.

Dunlop got up to go.

"Dunlop, one last thing," said Sam. "How did you know? And how did you know where to find us?"

"When I returned from my ranging trip to your European continent, all it took was one look at you Sam, one look to know," said Dunlop. He turned and left.

"He's creepy, but in a nice sort of way. I like him," Jack decided. He took a deep breath "So we're in the clear, except for one thing. I don't think you can hide your pregnancy from ole Doc Whistler."

"Let me handle Janice," said Sam. She put a hand over his. "What about you?"

"What about me?" said Jack, pulling his hand away.

"We became awfully... intimate, all of a sudden," said Sam.

"The plant," said Jack, his face suddenly impassive. "You said it was all the plant. The plant wanted us to mate, so it made us-"

"Fall in love," said Sam. Her eyes widened. "I mean, it made us fall in lust, not love," she said, clearly remembering when Jack told her he loved her. "It was all the work of the plant."

"So we can go back to being the way we were, even after all we did...." Jack didn't finish. He didn't need to. They had seen each other naked. They had had sex, sort of, exactly nine times. They had shared an intimacy usually reserved for lovers.

"Sure we can," said Sam brightly. "I mean, I can, if you can."

"Oh, I can, if you can too," said Jack.

"Then... we both can... right?" said Sam.

"Right," said Jack. He looked at her with concern. "Right?"

"Right!" said Sam again. She looked at him nervously. "Right?"

"Right," said Jack. Again.

They both felt very embarrassed. Finally, Jack said,

"You'd better see Doc Whistler."

"Right."

********

"I'm happy to announce, you're in perfect health, Sam," said Doctor Whistler, as Sam pulled up her khaki green Survey Service work pants.

"Perfect health?"

"Oh, there are a few minor question marks on your brain scan, as if certain parts of your brain have been especially... stimulated over the past few weeks," said Janice, raising her eyebrows. "But that can be explained away. What is harder to explain is the fact that over the past few days, you seem to have been pregnant." She looked inquiringly at Sam.

"Janice, I can explain."

"And not any ordinary pregnancy," said Janice, raising a finger. "I took DNA swabs, and here is what I came up with." She pressed a holo, and the image of a plant appeared floating around them.

"Janice, I--"

"Unfortunately, just as my examination was concluded, my analyzer malfunctioned, and all I got was this," said Janice, pressing another button, revealing a blank oval. "So I have nothing to report."

"Janice-"

"You don't have to say a thing," said Janice. "Dunlop 4 came by."

"He did?"

"Um hm. He told me everything. He told me that you had suffered enough."

"I don't know if suffering is quite the right word," said Sam uncomfortably, recalling the passionate lovemaking she had had. The image of Jack's contorted face of pain and pleasure as he climaxed, pumping into her, through the plant, was burned into her mind. The way his ass pumped back and forth as he plowed into the plant, his firm legs, his handsome face and eyes... it would all be with her for a long time.

Janice came over and put an arm around Sam. "You love him, don't you?"

Sam pulled away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Janice nodded. "I know."

********

Three days later, Jack stopped by Sam's office. "How you doin'?" he asked.

"Fine, sir," she said. Jack. He had asked her to call her Jack. But that was another time, another life, one now totally gone. In a way, she felt a loss.

"You're not feeling any... inappropriate urges, are you?" he asked, hintingly.

"You mean, do I want to go back to your place and have sex with you and a giant plant? No, I don't feel the urge for that any more, sir," said Sam, blushing even as she said it.

"Hey, lower your voice," he said, looking out into the hall. "It carries."

"Sorry, sir."

"Are you and Gavin... all right?" Jack asked.

"I... uh... yeah," said Sam. Much to her relief, her sexual interest in Gavin had started to return. Last night she had made love to him, and she had worked to put so much enthusiasm into it, that he had even commented on it approvingly.

"You didn't tell him... about us... of course."

"Of course not, sir. It was classified."

"So it is," said Jack. He appeared to hesitate. "You're not feeling guilty because you chose me over him, are you?"

Sam's head immediately looked down.

"You're tearing yourself up because you think you were unfaithful to him."

Sam nodded.

"But it wasn't your fault," said Jack. "In fact, choosing me was probably your way of being faithful to him."

"Come again, sir?"

"You were protecting him," said Jack. "The plant controlled your mind, partially, but even then you were still trying to protect Gavin. So you reached out to me, the next available handsome guy, to spare Gavin from being controlled by the plant."

"The next available handsome guy," said Sam, trying to keep herself from smiling.

"I mean of course, if your husband is not available, who else do you know well enough here to... you know," said Jack, raising his eyebrows.

"Of course," said Sam, trying to keep a straight face.

"So the way I see it, you used me in order to protect Gavin."

"I'm not sure Gavin would see it that way, Sir."

"Only because he doesn't understand the twisted nature of our work," said Jack. He looked inquiringly at her. She could see that he was earnestly trying to help her, to help her ease her feelings of guilt.

"Then I guess in that case I should apologize to you, sir," Sam said.

"For what?"

"For using you so callously, in place of my husband," said Sam, her eyebrows raising. Now she was flirting with him.

"Oh, Arden, it's all part of the job. I would do the same for any... friend," he said, and then as Jack smiled at her, Sam got chills down her back.

He paused again, and then said, "Would you have lunch with me, Major?"

"Just lunch, sir?" She inquired.­

"Just lunch. No sex with a monster plant, I promise."

"Sounds great, sir," said Sam, reaching for her jacket.

The End­