Mothership Wilderness Pt. 28

"Of course." Maureen, all smiles despite what she'd just been through, handed their daughter to Jacob.

Jacob beamed with pride. He looked over at Judy and Penny. "Say hello to your sisters," he told the baby.

"Aaawwwwwwww." Judy sat with her hands on her big belly, a wide grin on her face.

"She's darling." Penny stepped up and wiped Maureen's forehead with a cool washcloth. "How do you feel, Mom?"

"About the same I did nineteen years ago with you." Maureen sighed. "I'm so happy we're all together." For the briefest moment the comment made her bygone husband pop into her head. A faint feeling of guilt hit her, and then John's face left her mind and she took a deep breath. "Everything's all right. It's all okay." She nodded to herself and fondled the cross around her neck. When the door opened and Mary stepped in, Maureen's smile returned. "Hello, Mary. Come meet your newest granddaughter."

"Oh, my. Isn't she precious?" Mary's smile shone like a thousand suns. "Our blessings do not stop!"

~~

"Stop, Marsden. Stop." Dr. Cole stumbled down the corridor, her bygone husband dragging her by the arm. "You're in danger. Put me back in the brig."

"I'm fucking rescuing you, sweetheart." Marsden had gone over the escape plan hundreds of times, and he knew the way out. A left up ahead, and then they'd curve around the bulkhead toward freedom.

"Stop. You're hurting the baby. Please?" Dr. Cole wasn't used to pleading, but he was putting her in an impossible situation.

"I'm... what...?" Marsden dropped her arm and turned around. For the first time since he'd pulled her from the brig, he looked her over. She was obviously pregnant. He had been in such a hurry to get her out of there, he had overlooked it. "I... don't understand." He frowned. "Was that why... the barrier only showed your face? They were hiding this?" He tried to process the new information. His shoulders bunched, and he pounded the wall with his fist. "Who... who did this to you?"

"Just leave, Marsden. And don't tell anyone what happened." She took a step back from him.

"Don't tell anyone? Are you insane? We're going to tell everyone. Starting with the inspector general." He moved to grab her arm again but paused when she recoiled from him. "What have they done to you? It's me. Your husband. You've worked all these years to come back to me, remember?"

Dr. Cole shook her head. "No... no... Jacob brought us here. I had a chance and didn't take it. You're wrong. This is all wrong." Her eyes widened when a door silently slid open behind him. She understood what the ship wanted. "Please, just leave and promise you'll stay quiet."

"We're getting the fuck off this horrible ship." Marsden reached for his wife, but came up empty when she spun away from him. He was off-balance for a second, and then she pushed him with all her force. He stumbled back and fell. A door closed in front of him. "What's this?" He slowly stood and looked around him. He was in a small closet, it seemed. No, that wasn't right... there was a door behind him. He pounded on the window facing his wife. Once again, they were separated by a barrier, and he could only see her face. She was weeping. A chill ran down his spine. His wife never cried. "Open up." He pounded on the window.

"I'm sorry, Marsden. I am so sorry." Dr. Cole wiped tears from her eyes and lifted her hand to the control panel. "I warned you. I tried to warn you."

"Let me out of here! Please, Elizabeth. Open the door." For the first time, Marsden felt real fear. Something had gone very wrong with his plan. "I don't want to --" With a whoosh, the door behind him opened and the vacuum of space silenced anything else he had to say.

Dr. Cole turned her head. She couldn't bear to watch her bygone husband float out into the docks. Sobs overcame her, and she slumped down to the corridor floor.

~~

Tabitha checked the time. Her husband would be home by now. Would he think something horrible had happened to her if she didn't check in? Should she check in? Her confidence seemed to have evaporated. Easy questions had become hard. She stood, deciding to leave. It had been a foolish thing for her to board the Errand. Did she think one of her fantasies would really happen? Even if that was a possibility, all the more reason to leave. It was one thing to pretend, but to actually cheat on Ezra? She couldn't go through with such a thing. It was time to leave. She walked toward the door, but it opened on its own before she could get there.

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, Inspector General." Jacob strolled into the room. All the joy of new fatherhood was written on his face.

"Oh... Mr. Winthrop." Tabitha stopped in her tracks, her face suddenly hot, and her pulse beating in her ears. She smoothed out her wrinkled uniform with her hands. "I... um... I... well..."

"You've been waiting a long time to ask me some questions." Jacob found a nearby chair, sat with his legs crossed, and pointed his index finger at her. He cocked his thumb and dropped it in an old-fashioned parody of a gunshot. "Shoot."

"You are... um... well... I'm... you see." Tabitha couldn't collect her thoughts. Her gaze moved down to where something large wriggled under his uniform. Her panties were soaked. She tried to adjust her uniform around them.

"You seem a bit tongue-tied, Inspector." Jacob slowly unzipped his uniform. "Perhaps there's something you would like to inspect before continuing the interview?"

Tabitha slowly nodded. Her fantasies were coming true. She watched the massive cock writhe into view as Jacob pulled down his uniform. It was pinker than the last time she'd seen it. She definitely remembered it having a bluish tinge. But it did wave back and forth like last time, defying the way such an organ should move. She felt almost seasick watching it. Her legs trembled. "What... are you going to do... Jacob?"

Jacob laughed. "That's a dumb question, Mrs. Kensington. I'm going to sit here. What are you going to do?"

Tabitha shook her head. But she knew. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt. She was going to touch it. The whole rest of the world could go to hell... she was going to hold the pulsing, veiny thing in her hands.