Jack's Moonlighting Pt. 01

The two senior Tik were impressed with the quality of life experiences Tito had collected.

"Now, what can we do about this situation? We cannot interfere with their internal governing process. If the current Queen cannot fulfill her role according to their laws, there is nothing we could or should do to affect the end result of her being removed from power," Juju said firmly.

"I found it most illuminating to hear there may be some form of biological synchronizing of Dannt females to their mates. Once mated, they become infertile for other males. I wonder how this came to be!" TkaTken said enthusiastically.

"It doesn't sound like it prevents her from having sex with others. She's just keyed to a very specific set of genes to become pregnant. She needs a master key to bypass this lock," Tito said, enjoying the cleverness of its analogy. It noticed the room was silent and looked at the seniors. "Oh! I'm sorry. Was what I said insensitive or rude?"

Juju and TkaTken were staring at each other, but neither was speaking. Tito could almost feel a pressure wave building between them.

"Should I leave?" it asked timidly.

Juju broke free first. "No! No, we just simultaneously thought of a potential solution, but there are ethical and logistical issues that need to be resolved first. Unfortunately, the logistics demand immediate action due to the limited time available before the Queen is removed from power."

TkaTken nodded to its partner. "We must entrust you to take on a most delicate mission for the Dannt people."

Tito became excited. It had just gotten there and was already being given a mission!

Who said the edge of the galaxy would be boring!

Chapter 4

Jack leaned back in his chair with Tima cuddled on one side of his chest and Jakk on the other. His eyes were a little glassy, but he was managing to keep his tears of happiness contained.

The children were beautiful! With parents like Tyg and Lyn, Jakk was destined to be a handsome Shreen male. With Tanz for her mother, Tima was guaranteed to be beautiful.

"What's wrong with your eyes, Jack?" Hahn asked with a little smirk.

"Yes, it does seem like Jack's eyes are becoming quite shiny," Tyg said for the radio audience's enjoyment.

"You two knock it off! I'm trying not to cry over here. It's a little overwhelming to hug such beautiful children—ah, that's done it!" The tears rolled gently down his cheeks as he smiled down at their sweet sleeping faces.

Tanz moved to stand next to Jack, and she dabbed his face with a napkin to dry it. She pressed her lips to his temple, a gesture she'd picked up from him. He looked up at her.

"Thanks. I can't get over how lovely they are," he sighed.

Tanz gave him a crooked smile. "And they're becoming totally spoiled by how warm you are. Sleeping in their mother's arms won't be good enough!"

"Like Tima's mom isn't as spoiled!" Jack teased back. The others giggled at Tanz's flustered expression.

"Getting back to your face, what caused the bruising on the side of it?" Hahn asked, ever the doctor.

Jack smiled at the male. "I was on Orellia today defending my ownership of the Botany Ice Cream business in their Supreme Court."

Minister Wenns leaned forward in concern. "You lost, and they beat you?"

Jack chuckled. "No, I actually won the case, but the Plaintiff decided he would take his frustration out on my face. I won the fight too."

"Did you bring more of that brown ice cream with you?" Minister Terk asked with a sweet smile. Her husband Venn grinned excitedly.

"No! That won't happen until I find out what happened to the second tub I brought last time!" Jack insisted.

The party guests laughed and booed.

"Jack, you are the pooper at the party!" Hahn teased.

"It's party pooper, Hahn," Jack corrected.

"Yes! That!" Hahn agreed.

"We haven't seen any spontaneous clusters of pregnancies like last time, so as far as we know, the container hasn't been opened," Wenns reported as Minister of Public Safety.

"By now, it's probably gone stale," Jack sighed.

"It goes stale? What does that mean?" Hahn asked.

"The flavors fade, and I assume the potency diminishes as well. I haven't tried Botany ice cream after it's spent this long in a freezer, so I'm not positive what it would taste like. It wouldn't be good if dairy-based ice cream is any indicator. It's meant to be enjoyed shortly after it's made," Jack explained. "Hey, anything that tastes as good as ice cream is usually eaten right away and never has a chance to become stale."

"Now you have us craving ice cream!" Terk moaned.

Jack grinned mischievously. "It's a good thing I brought some along then! Just not the brown kind."

They cheered as the staff brought in the cooler Jack had snuck into the kitchen.

"What flavors did you bring this time?" Tanz asked excitedly as she lifted Tima from his arms. Lyn collected Jakk from him as well. He smiled affectionately at the children and watched the mothers transfer their children to a sleeping pen that had a warmer in the base. It wasn't as hot as he was, but the children would sleep through the night.

Jack nodded to Tanz when she returned. "I thought we'd try some exotic flavors that are favorites on Earth. I based the selections on what Gelane, my Chrystan distributor, reported were favorite flavors here. These should be similar to some local flavors but with a difference. And to assure Hahn, all of these are completely plant-based."

He lifted a tub of reddish-tan ice cream with red flecks in it. "This is very popular in a country called Japan on Earth. Red Bean Ice Cream." Jack set a second tub containing a deep yellow dessert next to the first. "The second flavor also originated on an island nation, Trinidad and Tobago. Mango ice cream. The last one is just a favorite of mine. Blueberry ice cream."

"Are any of these aphrodisiacs?" Hahn asked.

Jack smiled. "No. Not to my knowledge."

"Maybe I should test them just to be sure," Hahn said as he pulled out his medical kit.

Jack dropped a small amount of each on the sensor, and soon Hahn pronounced them all safe. Scooping a small amount of red bean for Hahn, Jack handed it to the doctor, who looked at the spoon suspiciously.

"You've declared it safe, so you can be the first to taste it, Hahn," Jack said with a smile.

With a final glance at Jack, the doctor stuck the spoon in his mouth. Everyone held their breath as the male's expression underwent several rapid changes.

"Well? Do you like it?" Jack finally asked.

"No... I LOVE IT!" Hahn gasped, and everyone cheered.

"I've never tasted anything like it! The mild sweetness, and the textures, it's incredibly good!" Hahn gushed. "More!"

Jack laughed and patted Hahn's shoulder. "Hang on! I want you to try the other two before I serve bowls to everyone. "Here's mango."

Hahn stared at the red bean longingly, then took a spoonful of the mango ice cream. His eyes closed quickly as the sweetness of the mango surprised him. "Ooh, the yellow one is sweet and so smooth. There's almost no texture at all. It's good, too, but I want the red bean."

Jack nodded. "Last one, blueberry."

Hahn pouted but put the spoon in his mouth. His eyes snapped closed once more. When he recovered, he looked at Jack. "The blue one isn't blue. It's purple."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know, but the berries have a blue color. What's your impression of the flavor?"

"It's sweet like the mango but has a tartness too. It wakes up the taste buds! It's delicious, but I want the red bean."

"Me too!" Terk called out.

"I think we are all impressed by Hahn's assessment of the first one," Tyg said with a smile.

Jack shrugged and began scooping and serving everyone the red bean ice cream. Soon, all Jack heard was the smacking of lips and coos of happy Shreen.

Queen Lyn grinned at Jack. "I believe we all enjoy this flavor very much. You should include it with the regular shipments, as I believe the people will agree this is the best-tasting ice cream they've ever tasted.

"With such a strong recommendation from the Queen, I'm sure it will be very popular. I'll make sure it is added to Shreen's order.

Jack helped himself to a bowl of blueberry ice cream and let the others make themselves another bowl of the red bean treat. Tyg returned the remaining tubs to the staff, who rushed away to enjoy the dessert.

"That was delicious, Jack, thank you!" the Shreen King said. Tyg glanced over at Rikki, who was charging itself from a power outlet at the side of the room. "How's it going with your new companion?"

Jack smiled at Rikki, who he knew was also enjoying the evening. "Rikki and I are doing very well. I couldn't ask for a more helpful buddy. It helps keep me out of trouble."

Rikki couldn't stop itself from making a noise of disbelief, and several guests picked that up and chuckled. Rikki felt the need to explain. "I believe Jack is greatly overstating the amount of influence I have over guiding his decisions or behavior."

Rikki's dry delivery of its opinion turned chuckles into laughter.

Jack just shook his head with a smile.

Tyg glanced at the time. "There is just one more item I'd like to add before we close off tonight's broadcast. We know our friend Jack is not one for big formal presentations, so Lyn and I will perform this ceremony here and now with you, our other guests as witnesses, and everyone in our audience listening in. Lyn?"

Jack watched the Queen with a curious expression, so she began. "You arrived in our lives at a difficult time, but your willingness to share your personal experiences and struggles made us aware of our similarities. Your ability to open your heart and share your boundless love elevated us and made us realize our love would get us through any challenges we might face. Since that day, you've been an honorary citizen, but we'd like to make it official. Jack Danner, I officially name you as a Citizen of Chrystan and a member of the Shreen Family!"

The gathering cheered loudly, and Jack fought back tears as he smiled at them.

When the noise dropped sufficiently, he addressed them. "I-I'm truly honored and humbled by your gracious acceptance of me as one of your citizens. Thank you!"

Tyg grinned at Jack and smiled at his wife. "I believe this brings to a close another wonderful broadcast with our good friend and recurring guest Jack Danner. Thank you, Jack, for entertaining us with your stories of growing up on Earth, the challenges of being the Altarian Ambassador, and being the Shadeem to the Ishilon. Congratulations on becoming a Shreen."

"Thank you, Tyg and Lyn, for hosting us again for a lovely evening! Goodnight, Chrystan!" Jack responded with a smile, and Tyg shut down the broadcast equipment.

Tyg grinned at Jack as he unclipped the mic from his fur. "These new microphones you found for us are amazing! The quality of the sound from every guest is so much better!"

Jack unclipped his own mic and handed it over to the King as the others gave him theirs.

"Stationary microphones on a table are great for sitting at a dinner table, but for this kind of party, being able to move around while keeping your mic close is brilliant!" Tyg continued.

"The shopkeeper told me the base station, which receives the mic signals, also maintains the positional information so the listener can tell when the speaker is moving. If they're listening to a receiver with more than one speaker, that is, or they're wearing earphones," Jack explained.

Tyg stared at Jack. "What are earphones?"

Jack blinked in surprise at the King. Then his mind pulled scenes from his memories of the Shreen listening to their daily audio entertainments, and he realized none of them had been wearing earphones. They shared their audio experiences with their neighbors, and no one minded. He didn't want to be the one to introduce a technology that might actually isolate them from one another.

"You know what? Never mind. They wouldn't be a good fit for your culture," Jack said with a dismissive shrug. Tyg nodded, trusting Jack's judgment.

"Jaaaack, look what Phan and Julli brought!" Hahn teased.

He turned his head and saw the Ministers were carrying a large bottle of Lussht. All the ministers and their spouses turned to grin at Jack. He glanced at Tyg, Lyn, and Tanz to see their grins were the widest of all.

"Hey! No one said there would be Lussht tonight!"

Berris started the chant quietly. "Love Doctor." The others quickly picked it up, and it got louder.

Jack's head dropped in defeat, and another cheer went up.

Rikki's voice popped into Jack's head. "What does this new title mean?"

"I swear you people act like sex-starved teenagers!" Jack exclaimed to the friends, and they laughed happily as they began to move to the other side of the room.

Jack responded internally to Rikki. "They wish to drink Lussht, which drops inhibitions, then get sex advice from me. They ridiculously think I'm some kind of expert on the subject!"

"Well, you do have many partners from multiple species. I suppose that lends you an expanded breadth of knowledge," Rikki commented.

Unaware of the internal conversation, Tyg approached Jack with an uncomfortable smile. "Jack, would it be okay to ask your Tik friend to wait outside?"

Jack smiled reassuringly at his friend. "Of course, let me speak with it."

"Thanks, Jack," the King sighed with relief, then returned to Lyn's side as she followed Tanz, who carried a tray of shot glasses after the couple holding the bottle. Hahn and Berris were rushing over to the pit opening on the floor of the audience hall. Mirs and Geng were right behind them, with Wenns, Dane, Terk, and Vinn glancing back at Jack excitedly.

He walked over to Rikki to keep up the illusion that they couldn't speak internally.

"I have no problem with waiting outside, but will you be having sex? Should I disconnect from you? With this drone, I can last no more than forty-five minutes before I begin to disassociate. Will you need longer than that?"

Jack snorted. "Actually, I'm more concerned with how you'll react while connected to me when I'm under the influence of the Lussht. Seriously, I completely trip out on this stuff, and tomorrow I'll have big gaps in my memory. I actually have no idea how much time we spend with the sex lessons as I never remember."

"It's okay, Jack. I will remember for you. I will not disclose anything," Rikki assured him and got a nod.

Jack walked to the pit and glanced back to see Rikki exit the room.

He saw everyone was already comfortably situated in pairs with their shot glasses in hand. Tanz was holding one for him with a sexy smile on her lips. He sighed.

He wasn't about to disappoint the lovely mother of his child.

-=-

Rikki did its best to contain its excitement. It was going to experience something no Tik had ever gone through, aside from sex, that is. Due to their mechanical nature, no Tik had ever been intoxicated to the point of... how did Jack describe it? Oh yes, tripping out.

Without betraying its presence in Jack's mind, Rikki opened itself completely to Jack's senses. While Rikki had offered to disconnect, Jack hadn't insisted as he was less concerned about the sex than the intoxication.

This beverage that Jack swallowed was cool and smooth going down but bloomed with heat in Jack's stomach and its taste—"

Wait, that wasn't right. It had no taste?

No, Rikki distinctly recalled the pleasure of the distinct and subtle... missing flavor. That wasn't possible. Rikki noticed the others enjoying it and smacking their lips in approval. Jack was eyeing the new Lussht in his shot glass with trepidation, so Rikki prepared itself to record the specific flavor Jack registered.

They made a toast, and Jack tossed the drink back once more. Ice and heat and delici—NO! It was gone again.

Rikki was seriously confused. The Tik prided themselves on their accurate perception of the world around them and their ability to remember everything!

It should have recalled the flavor even if Jack's senses blanked out the memory in his biochemical memory storage. Rikki made a note to return to this anomaly later. He enjoyed Jack's warm glow from the drink. That was a pleasing sensation.

They were preparing for another toast, and aside from the heat, Rikki wasn't aware of anything resembling a sensation called tripping out.

The third shot surprised Rikki then its senses went soft focus. Rikki knew it should be concerned that its acuity had diminished, but it just didn't seem so important at that moment.

Tanz's mouth on Jack's obliterated Rikki's ability to think, and it let the sensations rush through it. Jack was lifting the shot glass to his lips, and Rikki had a moment of clarity just before the liquid shot down the slick chute of Jack's throat into the hot glow of his stomach. It was time for Rikki to disconnect. All it needed to do was retreat into the drone, and all would return to normal.

Or a greatly scaled-back variant of normal.

Rikki felt its senses expand to take in every living being on the planet, their heartbeats, the air passing in and out of their lungs, the joy in their hearts, and the tears in their eyes. At the same time, Rikki could sense the world turning below and the cosmic rays caressing the atmosphere above. It had never felt more connected to another race than at that moment. This connection was a blessing of incredible value, and its emotions swelled in a futile attempt to express its gratitude. It was one of the most profound moments of its life.

Rikki needed to share the magnitude of this intense inclusiveness with the Tik populace. It felt intensely proud of achieving this great honor. It imagined how the elders would receive this experience with the dignity it deserved.

-=-

The two Shreen Guardsmen stationed outside the meeting chamber watched the black orb with a strange mix of caution and amusement as it rolled in random movements slowly along the floor, bumping off the corridor walls, gently humming to itself. They weren't really sure what it was doing. A third Guardsman, their captain, was responding to their call. He stared at the orb.

"What is it?" he asked the two.

"It's the special Tik that follows Jack around," one answered.

"What's it doing there?" he asked as the orb bounced in place momentarily.

"Bouncing," came the answer.

"I can see that!" the captain snapped.

Tentacles shot out to ineffectually grip at the floor and walls, but the black orb suddenly began to roll like it was being dragged away by some unseen force.

"Whoaahhhhh!" the orb moaned pitifully as it bounced off the wall and disappeared around the corner.

"I'd better follow it to make sure it doesn't get into any trouble or fall into a drain," the captain said as he hustled down the hall after the tumbling Tik.

The Guardsmen stationed at the door shared a look. "You don't see that every day," one said.

The other settled back into its guard stance. "Glad of it."

-=-

Tyg's uncle frowned as he turned off the radio. He rubbed his face in frustration.

He'd enjoyed his nephew's broadcast, as always, but now his guilty conscience was getting the better of him.

A little fun had become an avalanche with the threat of public embarrassment for his favorite nephew and his brother, the mayor, and he didn't know how to dig his way out.

He stood and left his home to walk the corridors of Boon Falls. He didn't have a destination in mind but let his feet take him where they wanted.

He soon realized there was wisdom in leaving it to fate as he found himself standing before South View. He knew his brother and wife would probably be in there. It was time to confess his guilty secret.

"Good evening, Bhurt! Would you like a table?" said a lovely dark brown-furred female working the reception desk.