Space Wrecker Ch. 03

"No worries Yiayia, like I said, I already have to stop by earth for this recall."

Grandfather hugged Grandmother and smiled at us. "We can discuss that in the future as we get closer to the holidays. I think this years 'Paradom' is going to be..., an interesting one, to say the least. I will advise your Aunts, Uncles and cousins of..., your situation. And will keep you informed, oh, and of our travel plans by the beginning of next month. But don't you worry about that Mark, you have enough to worry about with your current contract."

Grandfather directly looked at Julie Ann, trying to go back into clan leader mode, "Now, Julie Ann, once again welcome to the clan, I, we, are very happy that you accepted Mark as your mate and joined our clan. I ask that you wait a day or so before writing your father of your decision to give me time to inform him myself."

Julie kind of half nodded and bowed saying, "Yes Clan Master I will."

Grandfather grinned, rubbing his hands together, "As soon as I get off with you two I will look up and see what time it is on Domnia and call His Royal Majesty King Chokota Howfio himself."

Julie looked at her tablet, "It is Doy day, oh mid eighth, in Capitol City." Julie frowned, "I mean its rest day, and around eight thirty am in human time keeping. Father should be awake at home, in his office reading the morning news feeds with a cup of cholate at his side."

Grandfather laughed. "Well then, let us end this, so I can call your father and disturb his morning." Grandfather looked over at me and winked, "Now Mark, don't you worry about a thing, as your Clan Leader, I will negotiate the..., um, 'Bann's' with your new father in law."

I nodded yes, but thought about how Julie mentioned that her father spent most of her dowry on buying her ship. I looked at grandfather, "Just a token gesture Grandfather." I hugged Julie, who smiled at me. "Just a token gesture, her dowry was spent on her wrecker. And I have everything I want or need from her Clan with me."

Yiayia Nikiti looked at Granddad confused as he said. "I understand Mark. Let's end this so I can get the ball rolling here on my end."

I nodded yes, "Yes Grandfather. Bye yiayiá Nikiti."

Julie half-bowed "Clan Leader, First wife."

Grandmother looked shocked as Julie did not call her Nikiti, but called her first wife, Grandfather just laughed, "Can't wait to see both of you in person. I hope sooner than the holidays, but if not. Be true to each other."

Both Julie and I nodded. Then I cut the connection. Julie turned to me and smiled, then looked at the windows, not able to see out she leaned in and licked my cheek then kissed me. "Thank you my mate."

I returned the mutual groom and kiss. I got up and offered Julie my hand, "Come Julie Ann Walker we have things to do."

Julie smiled and stood. I pulled my I.D. and we walked out hand in hand. As we walked to the elevator. I was lost in thought, I barley heard her correct me, "It's Julie Ann Dobbins-Howfio-Walker, or first wife, my mate."

XXXXXXX

'Naval encryption: Amnesia, password: XXXXXXXXXX18J4.'

Password accepted;

Dial: 1-202-XXX-XXXX-XXXXX.

Dialing:......, Connected...., encryption protocols engaged.

"Hank,"

"Seb, and what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

"A hundred creds. Our fish took the bait."

"WHAT!"

" 'He' took it hook, line and sinker. They are going formal route, I need to call King Midas to formalize the relation."

Hank laughed, "Damn it Seb. I knew better to take your bet! Damn it! How in the fuck did you pull it off?"

Seb laughed, "I just suggested to Queen Midas that she suggest that they send Princess Julie Ann to help negotiate, that, um, part of the job."

"And how and the fuck did you know they would, umm, get together?"

Seb laughed, "I didn't, but I knew if I got them in the same quadrant, nature would take care of the rest."

"Damn you my ole friend. Still? How and the hell could you predict them, 'getting' together."

"Sucker," Seb laughed, "I used simple basic Extraterrestrial Psychology and human nature."

"WHAT?"

"Think about it Hank, we are ready knew the boy had a furry fetish, and they were both wrecker pilots. So there 'meeting' was bound to happen. So with her genetics, and his, furry fetish there was a very good chance that they would..., get together."

Hank laughed, "Dang it Seb, You and your psychological mind tricks, should have known you would have an ace up your sleeve."

Seb laughed, "Nope Hank, more along the lines, of knowing what bait to cast to catch our fish. Now, Zelle me that hundred creds, loser, and set me up a diplomatic line to Domnia. King Midas should be home and in his private office."

'God damn it, I have half a mind to cheat you out of those hundred creds Seb! You are playing with fire my old friend. I don't know how you talked me into this!'

"Very easily Hank. You already know all my plans work."

'Damn you Seb. I am already taking heat because the way your fish was the only one to get that contract. This better work ole man.'

'It already has. Now give me access to the diplomatic satellite so I can make a private call to King Midas.'

'Diplomatic hyper link: K107pass932: Please click link to access secure channel;'

"There you go Seb. This better work! I need that peace treaty. Luis told me he really needs the fleet soon. Those Rigel-ians are on the brink of giving up this pirate façade. And are quietly organizing their navy."

"I read the report Hank, I know. My fish and his new mate have already started bridging the gap between our people. They will get you your peace treaty. So Luis can have his fleet."

"They better Seb."

Naval encryption: Amnesia: Disconnected... All texts deleted... all voice records... deleted.

XXXXXXX

The next part of our, or Julie's visit here had me worried, I looked at Julie as we walked towards the nearest elevator and asked. "Are you sure you don't want me to, come along?"

Julie shook her head no. "I need to talk to her, alone, and you need to empty the second bedroom, even if I am not successful, your gym is still going to the hanger deck, we are not going to repeat that disaster a third time."

I nodded yes, as we rode the elevator down. Then I smiled at her and teased, "You didn't complain the day we left Taurus."

Julie got off the on the first floor below the promenade and touched the button for lowest floor, access to the outer torus. "I am not going to say a word about that Mark Walker. But your gym better be on that hanger deck when I get back to the ship." The doors closed with her trying to hold a stern look at me.

I laughed as the elevator took me to the lowest deck.

I smiled to myself in thought. It took us three days to un-cable all the ships we brought into dry dock, as we were accelerating to JUL. I went for a work out and accidently put Julie into temporary heat with my scent again. Julie did not mind per-say, but I got several deep scratches on my back from it, and those were still healing.

The next day after a hot shower, a still mortified Julie, worried about wounding me. After spraying on a healthy coating of antiseptic, we sat and talked about it. We, well Julie came to the conclusion that it be would be better, even healthier for me to move the gym to the far corner of the hanger deck, where a small sink was available to rinse off before I came back upstairs or into range of her nose. The sink was part of the Hazmat rinse station on the forward, port side of the ship. I was kind of hemming and hawing about it..., but I had different reasons for dragging my feet on this issue..., well, reasons not to, and it had nothing to do with the ship.

I had deleted the lead shield wall and hot drones from the hanger deck design and load out when I had her built. I did not do hot recoveries. There were tons of companies out there, which already specialized in reactor breaches, and recoveries. I was not one of them! Therefore, I never used the drone cleaning station and its accompanying sink. If it were not for the thought of bringing in two large battle ships, I would not have taken the Felidae-ian contract for just this reason.

As I got onto the power walkway, I realized I sort of liked Julie when she was out of control like that, in heat. I was, so caught up in that fantasy. I did not realize I was standing at my ships access door. Once I realized where I was, I opened the side hatch, I concluded that I needed to do certain things to make Julie happy, and I of course could accidently forget to clean up occasionally.

Once I was onboard the Galveston, I asked SARA the best way to move the resistance machines down to the hanger deck and were to place them with access to the sink. She had me first start, by removing the rubberized flooring.

I was busy doing just that, when I turned around one time stacking floor tiles, the large equipment maintenance drone was standing there giving me a dirty look. I bet it wanted to tell me off for welding that one mag-clamp. I grinned at it, "One word about my welding skills and I am going to lock you back in your box!" The damn bot just folded its arms, looking at me.

I grinned and laughed at the human like gesture, and got back to removing tiles. As soon as all the tiles were, clear of the first resistance machine it moved in bumping me out of the way. With its electric tools, it disassembled the machine part way. Several smaller maintenance drones came in and took the pieces away. I worked at removing the tiles under the careful stare of the maintenance drone. And the looked, it gave me, said, hurry up flesh bag I am not getting any younger here.

Once I picked up the last of the tiles, I carried them into the salon to start carrying the stacks down to the hanger, but some of the large maintenance drones were carrying them and stacking them on the elevator car for me. I went down to the hanger floor with several stacks of floor tiles. Where a D875 drone greeted me. It gave me a dirty look that said, get the 'F' out of the way.

"Out of the way weakling," I mumbled as I walked out carrying my four tiles. The D875 bumped me as it walked by with a dozen of the heavy sixteen by sixteen, one inch thick rubberized floor tiles in its mechanical arms. I followed it, mumbling and struggling to carry my four heavy rubber tiles myself. It walked by after dropping off its load, the vison head unit turned as it walked by staring at me daring me to say something I bet.

In the far left corner was a small wash station for when you were working on the drones or a piece of equipment brought in to repair for a broken down ship. SARA had started arranging the four resistance machines in a row along the forward wall so the drones still had a clear walkway to this side's hanger door. A small maintenance drone tapped my leg and held out its arms for the floor tiles I was holding. I set them onto its arms and it carried them away as if they weighed nothing.

"Show off!"

It 'beeped' as if saying yup.

I walked back upstairs because apparently everyone thought I needed the exercise or SARA was holding the elevator up because the loading of floor tiles or something. I think they are all conspiring against me and love to see the flesh bag huff and puff his way up the stairs.

I had left the clear plastic sheet covering the carpet when I laid down the rubber floor tiles when I first turned that bedroom into my exercise room. When I got to the second bedroom, several small maintenance drones were just finishing rolling it up and the vacuum drone was waiting to clean up after them. I rarely got to see this drone. Apparently, SARA thought it was ok, today.

I looked at it, "Ya I know your job sucks."

It just beeped back at me.

With nothing left for me to do, I went into my bedroom to clean up and change into shorts. I was sitting on the couch trying to write William Miller when I heard the main hatch opened, I stood as Julie walked in followed by a nervous looking Chree.

XX Julie XX

Mark gave me that silly grin as the lift doors closed. I knew, he knew, what his scent did to me. No I did not blame him, it was, is, nice to go wild with him like that, once and a while. However, not every time he decides to exercise, it is just not proper. I smiled to myself, nothing said I could not visit him post workout, once and a while anyway, but I was going to have to find some sort of sheath's for my claws. I was not going to domesticate myself by filing them down. I liked my claws 'razor sharp' like nature intended.

I looked at my wrist tablet and followed its directions on which way the Miller storefront was. It was complaining again about available resources again. Humans wrote their tablet code so chunkily! It was stressing my older wrist tablet again.

As I got closer I no longer needed its directions, I could smell a faint scent of Mark. His scent was all over someone. Mother once called humans, 'the unwashed humanity' I never understood that statement until today. The odorous smell of thousands of humans overwhelmed me. Most were not too noisome but others were down right repugnant!

Either with a false scent, or just in need of a bath. I wondered how Mark got through it. I liked the fact that Mark preferred to bathe every day, although I did like his particular scent very much. Once I got to the Miller storefront, I could tell she had his scent and kept it.

Percherians had to know how to purge their system of another's scents by now. The whole floor had little pieces of her white fur, where the cleaners missed. His scent was all over those pieces. Just like on the Galveston, the carpet vacuum needed to be, upgraded, here on Fort Briggs as well.

I closed my eyes, hoping that my starligher vacuum made it through the accident and I could retrieve it from the Xanadu, and I am just hoping, or the human word 'praying' that SARA could interface with it. Along with several other things, I had been worrying about. Number one was Mothers, personal side arm. I hate to think I lost the family heirloom and had to be the one to tell her.

My Starlighter I thought..., with a potential meeting with Mark's second mate, and here I am worrying about a vacuum cleaner..., I had to laugh at myself. Yet on a ship with furry people, you needed the best, to clean up after them. I took a deep breathe trying to clear my mind. With a last laugh, thinking vacuum cleaners I walked in the Miller store.

The main area was set up with floor to ceiling display monitors showing all different types of wreckers in action. One was showing something similar in size to my lost Xanadu. It hurt seeing it in action. One showed Marks ship in construction, I turned watching this display when I smelled her even before she walked out.

I have seen pictures of her and her race. Not to mention Mark had an extensive collection of pictures of her. We, Felidae's, as a race have never had much contact with Percherian's. Their territory and home world was on the far side of the human's territory and further down that spirals arm. My people had known of them, but considered them a lower technologically race since they were still using rotational ship designs for on-board gravity. The main reason, I was guessing is why she pushed Mark away.

She was more impressive in real life. I looked her over. I could see the resemblance in body shape, which Mark so loved. He had good taste. I was kind of hoping, that maybe she might be a little Shiwin, for I would like a taste of her as well. Her blue on blue eyes were sad, and yet still alluring. Yet I could smell the depression on her from where I stood.

"I asked him not to come." She said speaking first, as I looked her over.

"He didn't Chree Ticaozah, I came alone."

"To gloat over me? I have hoped he would fallen for a girl that would have had better manners than that."

I realized she was trying to intimidate me into a fight or something. She was searching for a reason to hate me, I reasoned. Jealousy in a crèche is a sure way to doom a harmonious household. I hoped my words would, 'shock' her out of this petty display.

"He did Chree Ticaozah. I came for another reason. One that I hope we can talk about like 'adults'."

I think it worked because she folded her ear in shame, I noticed a couch and pointed at it, and said, "Can we sit and talk? I saw her wiggle her nose in a quiet sniff, was she trying to smell the fresh scent of Mark on me? I did not know how sensitive Percherians noses were. I walked over and sat, patting the couch, "Please sit Chree. I came to talk, in peace, I promise."

Chree sat with her long ears bent slightly forwards, "We really have nothing to say to each other," she said, "you are his new co-pilot and...," with another quick sniff she said, "lover. I am nothing now, but an ex-lover...,"

She did not finish, so I did for her, "Who realized that she had fallen in love with the same male."

Chree flinched, her carefully build defenses started crumbling down, and her delicate emotions came to the forefront. I could see tiny her body shake with them. I reached down and pulled a wet wipe, a human invention, and a furry girl's best friend when crying. I scooted over and put an arm around her. "You don't have to say it, I know." I offered her the wipe.

"If you knew, then why are you here?"

"To know why you haven't told him the truth, that you love him. And to see if we can fix this."

"We can't!" Chree said as she broke down cried into the wet wipe, "he already told me you're his new co-pilot, but now," she sniffed, "his lover."

"That is true Chree, not only his lover, but his mate. But the real question is why haven't you told him the truth?"

"I..., uh. I cannot tell him because I cannot go with him on his ship, I tried to go on a few runs, but after a few days, the dizziness and headaches started to get worst. I knew then, I cannot ever be with him on his beloved ship, nor could I try to hold him here or planet side. He is a wonderer and I cannot, could not force him to stay on Fort Briggs or center his business here. It would tear him up inside and someday..., sometime in the future! He would come to hate me..., if I did. I had to let him go."

"Why can't you go on his ship, is it just because, of the headaches?"

Chree hung her head down dejected with her ears laid over the front of her face. A soft sob escaped her as she started to cry again. I knew the answer.

I hugged her, "What if I told you there is a way, a way for you to be with him, on the Galveston, and have him as a lover, and even a mate. Are you willing to give this up, your shop, your life, here on Fort Briggs, everything? Would you follow him to the far end of the galaxy? If there was a way?"

Chree sniffed, and nodded yes.

I took Chree's hand in mine, "Percherians are not the only other species that suffers gav-plate vertigo, or paroxysmal positional vertigo," I said softly. "We Felidae-ians suffer from the same thing." I handed Chree one of my pilot's collars.

"My people knew that rotational gravity was a dead end in ship designs. When we learned how to make grav-plates, we fell victim to the headaches and dizziness as well. But we knew grav-plates was the future so we invented a grav-plate null field generator, my people call them pilot's collars."

Chree looked at the golden necklace.

"These little grav-plate null generators or pilots collar, create a little null field around the wearers head so you don't get paroxysmal positional vertigo standing on one, and more important, moving between them. I have six, but in reality, you only need two, one to wear for twenty-six hours and one to recharge as you are wearing the other."

Chree sniffed, and then looked up me with a half-smile, "You could make a fortune selling these to my people."

I smiled at her, "I plan too, or at least make some from it, by informing my people of a possible sale of them."