Jack's Moonlighting Pt. 01

"Hi, Neri. Is Ghen inside?" he asked. Neri was the sister of the resort owner.

She grinned at him. "Where else would our mayor go to enjoy his son's dinner-time broadcast?" She gestured for him to enter the dining room.

Bhurt was well known in the community as he'd driven almost everyone from Boon Falls to Elleltris and back on his bus. He returned the waves and greetings as he walked across the room to his brother's table. He noted that most of the customers tonight were young couples who were likely at the resort for the upcoming snowboard competition.

Ghen looked up and smiled at his brother. "Hey, Bhurt! Did you catch the show?"

"Hi, Ghen, Asha. Yeah... I did," he said with a tight little smile, and his brother immediately picked up on his unease. That was something he could always rely on his younger brother to do.

"Is everything all right?" Ghen asked.

"Could we talk for a moment?" Bhurt said.

"Sure. Here?" Ghan asked.

Bhurt sighed and shook his head. "Maybe I should just show you. Could you two follow me?"

The couple shared a glance, then stood and followed him through the kitchen doors.

When Bhurt wasn't driving the bus, he was something of a handyman in Boon Falls, and he'd done some work for the resort on the walk-in cooler. This gave him the prime hiding spot. When they reached the door, Bhurt held up a hand. "Give me a second."

He slipped into the large cooler and moved to the back corner, where he removed a panel on the wall and collected his hidden prize. He put the panel back in place and left the cooler.

Bhurt held up the infamous missing tub of brown ice cream.

Ghan and Asha looked at it in confusion for a second, then Asha grasped the significance.

"It was you? You're the one who took the ice cream?" she asked quietly. Ghan's expression suddenly changed to recognition as he caught up to his wife.

Bhurt nodded sadly. "The night of that dinner party, I was overnighting in Elleltris. I stopped by the palace to say hello to Tyg but discovered he was busy with his guests. I went by the kitchen to say hello to some friends, but they were acting very giddy and excited. They were eating the brown ice cream Jack had brought. I saw the extra tub and... I thought it would be nice if the Ridgers got to participate in the fun for once—"

Ghen gasped in shock. "Bhurt! You know Tyg's a Ridger and feels—"

"I know! I'm not saying it was rational, but my old Ridger resentments flared, and I did something stupid," the older brother confessed. "No one was paying attention, so I took the tub and left. I put it in my bus fridge and slept in the vehicle. The next morning, I came to my senses. By then, the story about the stolen ice cream was blowing up on all the channels. I couldn't take it back as I didn't want to embarrass Tyg or you, so I just stayed quiet."

"But you kept the ice cream," Asha said.

Bhurt nodded. "I don't know why... except everyone said it was so good, and the kitchen folk looked so happy."

"Tonight, Jack suggested it must be stale by now," Ghen said.

Bhurt frowned and nodded. "That made me start thinking about it again. I can't keep this secret any longer."

"I wonder if it has gone stale," Asha said quietly.

Ghen and Bhurt looked at her in surprise.

She caught their expression and huffed. "Oh, please. It's a dessert! It's not a national treasure. Besides, aren't you curious what it tastes like?"

Ghan smiled at his wife. "As a matter of fact, I am!"

Bhurt stared at them cautiously. "Shouldn't we destroy the evidence?"

"We can do that by eating it!" the younger brother said. "Come on. Open the tub. I'll get us some bowls and spoons."

Asha plucked the heavy tub from Bhurt's hands and set it on the kitchen counter. Some staff glanced over curiously as they cleaned up after the dinner hour.

Ghan returned with the small bowls and spoons, and Neri was with him.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"We found some treasure!" Asha teased as she eased the lid off the container. Neri's eyes widened as she saw the contents of the tub.

"Is that the missing brown ice cream?" she gasped. Some of the younger staff overheard this and joined them with excited grins.

Asha poked the ice cream with a spoon, but the top layer was super-hard. "It might have gone stale, as Jack suggested."

Bhurt was frustrated as all his effort, and all that worry had been for nothing. He picked up a knife, cut a hole in the top, and discovered the hardened layer wasn't very deep. He carved through it and used a spoon to pry off the icy layer.

Underneath, the ice cream was softer. He scooped some out and placed it in a bowl. This went to Asha, who grinned as she put a small spoonful into her mouth.

Everyone watched her eyes close, and a beatific smile slowly spread across her face. When she opened her eyes, they twinkled with happiness. "It's so good!"

Bhurt got busy filling a stream of little bowls. The kitchen crew had some, but then they noticed the customers were still in the dining room, so bowls were delivered to them, much to their surprise and delight.

Seconds went to everyone, and Bhurt got two bowls for himself before they scraped the tub clean.

Bhurt's earlier funk was obliterated in the relaxing buzz he got from the sugary treat. Neri was leaning against him comfortably, playing with the fur on his chest.

People began to slip away until only Neri and Bhurt were left in the kitchen. She scooped some residual ice cream from the empty tub and then wiped it on her lips as she smiled suggestively at him.

That was an invitation he wasn't going to let slip away.

Chapter 5

"You said you'd remember for me," Jack grumbled as he guided the fully laden hovering cart toward the Gate.

Rikki was doing its best to stay between Jack's horns this morning. Everything felt too bright, loud, scratchy, cold, hot, and generally unpleasant. "Please keep your volume down, Jack. I'm having trouble recalibrating the drone's inputs."

Jack glanced up and caught a glimpse of Rikki for a second before it moved back between his horns. "You're hungover?"

Rikki paused. "What's that mean?"

"It's a physiological response to drinking too much alcohol," he answered.

"Obviously, it can't be that for me," Rikki responded.

"So, your senses aren't feeling like they're too strong at the moment? They're not grating on you? You're not struggling to maintain control over your movements?" Jack pressed.

"Seriously, Jack, I cannot be hungover as that is a biological condition," Rikki said stiffly.

Jack snorted and guided the climate-controlled hover cart through a Gate to Chuuruthia. He waved to the Tik manning the cargo Gate on this side. His food shipment was too large now to be allowed through a passenger Gate.

He waved to the Tik on the Chuuruthian side as the cart glided to the exit. Jack called for a larger taxi to bring them home. He leaned back against the wall as he waited.

This morning he woke naked under a pile of furry bodies. This was becoming the norm for his visits to the frozen planet.

Tanz was cuddled in on one side, and he was surprised to find Berris on the other. Hahn's breath blew across his face as he was nestled against his wife's back. Jack felt like he was a degree or two away from melting completely.

He also urgently needed to use the washroom. How much did he drink the night before?

Extracting himself from the base of that pile of Shreen bodies without waking anyone was impossible, but his need was growing stronger.

Finally, he had enough people awake to release him from the confinement, and he made a dash for the side of the room where the washroom was located. That was an incredible relief.

Then he noted that Rikki wasn't there. Looking back at his memories of the night before, he picked up that Rikki had left the room, but when he called for him in his mind, all he got back were grunts.

Jack returned from his hazy memories to gesture in front of him. That was his signal to Rikki to make himself visible for a talk. The orb dipped and hovered before him.

"What happened to you this morning? I tried to call you, but you were just snorting at me. I got a little scared until you snapped at me," Jack admitted.

Rikki sighed. "You failed to mention exactly what tripping out entailed."

"Sorry, my memories are too distorted to give you a play-by-play description," Jack argued.

A taxi arrived and scanned the container. "Our apologies Mr. Danner. This taxi is unable to carry this container. We will dispatch a truck to this location," the automated voice replied.

"Okay, thanks!" Jack responded, and the vehicle left. He took a seat on a bench next to the building to wait. The flowers nearby were blooming beautifully, and he relaxed in the scent. Which was what they were designed to do.

He returned to the jumbled mess of his memories after he'd begun drinking the Lussht and just gave up. There was nothing sensible he could collect from that. He recalled that the babies were super cuddly when he'd collected them for their mothers this morning. Lyn and Tanz gratefully gathered them from his arms, then he went searching for his clothes. Berris gave his naked privates a hungry look as she and Wenns licked their lips. Recalling that gave him some troubling flashes of memory from the night before, but he pushed those out of his head.

Jack looked at Rikki again. "So... you didn't tell me where you disappeared to this morning, or was it last night?"

"After reviewing them, I quarantined my memories from the evening before as I'm not certain of their veracity. Nothing made sense, and the emotional intensity was... well, it was greater than I've ever experienced," Rikki said with a troubled voice.

"I looked out the meeting room door, and you weren't there," Jack prompted.

Rikki paused for a moment. "When I woke this morning, which was an odd experience in itself, I was behind a refuse container at the back of a restaurant. Two Shreen Guardsmen were in the alley, ensuring no one interfered with me. I thanked them and returned to a guest suite in the Royal Palace, where I cleansed the drone. Then I came looking for you. I never wish to experience Lussht again. Tripping out is far too disturbing an experience for a Tik. I may ask the elders for special permission to have these files expunged."

Jack nodded. "Amen, brother."

Rikki paused. "I'm not clear what you mean by that. Are you confessing a familial relationship with me?"

Jack chuckled. "No, Rikki. It's something people with strong religious beliefs say in response to someone else stating a profound truth they agree with. I was agreeing with you about Lussht and your desire to avoid it. Thankfully, I don't have a hang-over like you," Jack added with a smirk, and Rikki choked on its annoyance. "But the loss of coherent memories is disturbing." He shook his head. "One sensation I recall was the world accelerating away from me and clinging to the cushions to keep from sliding off the planet. So weird!"

Rikki made another frustrated choking sound, then went silent.

A truck slowly approached from above and settled down before his container. A ramp descended, and Jack guided the container to the back of the vehicle. Its lift field moved the load into the back and anchored it in place as Jack watched.

"Where is this to be delivered, Mr. Danner?" the automated voice asked.

"The driveway of my home would be fine," Jack said, walking to the front of the truck. He stopped when he saw there was no passenger chamber. The vehicle rose up into the sky and headed toward Jack's home.

Sighing, Jack called for another taxi.

"It is taking an extraordinary amount of time and effort just to get home," Rikki stated.

Jack glared at it and sat on the bench again.

Some mornings, silence was preferable.

-=-

Senior Researcher Warrez fretted over the things they'd said to the Tik. She knew they'd been clever not to disclose actual names and situations, but the inferred information would still damn them in the eyes of the High Priestess.

She'd just have to make sure she never found out.

Her sleep had been troubled as she thought of the disastrous days ahead if the Queen had to step down. They had to find a solution, and she was pinning her hopes on the Tik.

When she entered the office at the Gate Terminal, she saw her team was already there. Everyone except Bayly looked like they'd had troubled sleep. She looked to the youngest. "How come you look so well rested?"

Bayly cast her eyes to the others as she hadn't noticed their sleepy states. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize—"

Warrez held up her hands to stop the female. "I'm not blaming you for looking so fresh. I just wanted to know how you did it?"

"Oh! Well, I believe the Tik will present us with an answer today. We must be prepared to do whatever it takes to make it happen. Queen Mara must be allowed to remain our Queen!" Bayly said passionately.

Warrez smiled at her. While she wasn't too old herself, she had to admit she didn't have a fraction of the unwavering faith in the Tik that Bayly did.

She caught her team's eyes turning to the door and faced it to see Juju, TkaTken, and Tito Bandito entering the room behind her.

Juju spoke first with the standard daily greetings. Then it addressed the Senior Researcher. "Are you well? It appears you may be tired. Did you not sleep well?"

She smiled at the Tik for its perceptive questions. "I'm afraid most of us did not. We are worried for our Queen." She bit her lip as she shouldn't have slipped like that. Her people glanced at her cautiously.

Warrez waved her hand to ignore her words. "Have you had time to ponder the dilemma we spoke of?"

Juju looked to TkaTken, who tipped forward to its partner. "We have, and there is a possibility of a solution."

Four Dannt sucked in sharp breaths simultaneously.

The Tik gazed at them for a moment before Juju continued. "If we can return to our hypothetical question from the previous day, the crystal male had a special bowl that only the one rock female could use to allow them to make pebbles. Without the original rock female, the rock male cannot make pebbles." It paused as the others nodded in agreement then it proceeded.

"In a far away place out there in the Gate Network, there is a very special and rare... lava being, who has proven they can fill such bowls with something to assist the rock male in making pebbles."

"We must speak to this lava being!" Bayly asserted immediately.

Warrez was trying to get her head around the concept of a being from another world having the ability to mate with someone not of its species. That sounded like magic and was something the High Priestess would not condone.

"I... I don't think I can go to—I mean, this is not a solution that would be allowed by the rock male's religious leaders. If it had been some technological solution, there would have been a great deal of resistance, but we might have had a chance. Introducing the idea of a stranger, an alien no less, who might be able to replace the missing rock female... it's too much."

She rubbed her face. "Thank you for presenting a potential answer, but I think we must find an alternate idea." She drooped her head forward. "If you don't mind, I think I will retire for the day and rest. My mind is not at it's sharpest at the moment." She stood and walked out of the room. With sad expressions, Grunn and Lena followed her out.

Bayly watched her leader leave with dismay. The Tik had presented them with a viable plan that solved all their issues, and the Senior Researcher was worried about selling the idea? This wasn't the time for talk! Action was required! Her expression changed from dismay to determination.

She turned to face the three Tik who hadn't left. They were watching her. She smiled.

"How do we find this very special and rare being?"

Tito nodded to her, then to its two seniors. It looked back at Bayly.

"Juju and TkaTken gave me the name and location of the person we need to speak to. We will need to travel more than halfway across the Galactic disc to the headquarters of the Gate Network on a planet called Maghadahn. As we are basically asking the Ambassador of one world to resolve a sociopolitical crisis on another world, we need to petition the Maghadahn Assembly. They will grant us permission to directly request assistance from this unique individual."

"How long will it take to get to Maghadahn?" she asked.

Tito looked at the senior Tik. "My trip to meet you took a week, but I took very few rest stops to recharge. The delegates from this planet will need to sleep, eat, and take care of other bodily functions on the journey. Perhaps a week and a half in both directions.

"Three weeks!" Bayly gasped. "That uses most of the time Queen Mara will have before she's forced to abdicate!"

The Tik politely ignored her outburst and her disclosure of the actual name of the party in their hypothetical situation.

Bayly scowled as she tried to think of an alternate solution to speed up the trip. They certainly couldn't wait for a committee to argue about who should go.

"I'll go on my own. Just tell me how to find this Maghadahn," she insisted.

Juju was not expecting this. It thought she would make an impassioned plea to her senior to take the request up the authority chain. "Your position in your society, your very freedom within it, may be jeopardized by this action. Shouldn't you attempt to enlist the Senior Researcher to speak to your governing body to assign someone to this mission?" The Tik were willing to open an outbound Gate for an envoy from this planet to seek help. They would be the Dannt's first outbound traveler.

"Our governing body at this time is grieving the loss of her mate, and the second in command is probably blaming her for not following their advice to find a mate earlier. None of them will be helpful in this matter. There isn't enough time available to waste it on arguing details. We need to act decisively. My position and freedom mean nothing if Queen Mara is forced to step down. Our society will descend into a darkness matched only by the horrors of the Goddess' Culling. You won't get to witness this, of course, as the Tik will have been ordered to leave long before the barbarism begins again."

The three Tik stared at her in shock. "It couldn't—" Juju began.

"The only thing preventing the northern tribes from reverting to that now is Queen Mara's rule. Their leader, Kressa, was previously defeated by Mara in combat, so she must follow the Queen's laws. When the Queen is forced to step down, Kressa will take power, and she has plans. They include conquest and subjugation, all in the name of her overinflated sense of self-importance."

Bayly was convinced this was the only course. The Tik were right. This action may forfeit her freedom and life, but that didn't matter. The survival of her people was more important.

"I'll pack for a journey of a week and return. Then you will give me directions to this being who may save our people," she said and rushed from the building.

Juju looked at Tito. "It seems you'll be going on that mission today. Are you prepared?"

"Yes! Though I had not truly understood the ramifications of failure until now," Tito stated quietly.

Juju shared a look with TkaTken. "Neither did we."

Chapter 6

Jack woke from his nap feeling much more relaxed. When he'd finally gotten home with Rikki earlier, the two went their separate ways as much as they could. He searched for his family and found Diana, Eve, SennLann, and Juul in the kitchen preparing food for the party. He got hugs and kisses from everyone then Eve turned him around, guided him to his bedroom, and tucked him in for a nap.

When he woke again, Jack took a shower and felt Human once more. Well, as Human as a Hybrid could.