Starship Starseeker Ch. 03

Their room was tight for the five of them and the five visitors, but everyone was used to the tight quarters of an orgy, and there were two large beds in the room. They had sex with each other until past midnight when the housemaid and instructors had to go to sleep. They had a busy day tomorrow. After they left to go to their own rooms, Mike and Jo slept together as well as Abbie and Erik. Sam and Rae shared a bed together, and like the others, they made love several times throughout the night.

When they returned to Erik's shop late the next morning, they looked through all the other brochures, deciding on a jungle trek with ziplining. Erik put a "closed, on an adventure" sign on his door and they all loaded back up in Erik's shuttle again, this time with different equipment. Gone were the cold weather flimsy only to be replaced with a tough jumpsuit, the kind the port workers used. It fit over your flimsy and gave extra protection from scrapes and abrasions.

They landed in a jungle clearing far away from the city. This was in the tropical zone of the planet, near the equator. Erik assured him that there were no dangerous animals of plant species in the jungle, but there was some unique flora and fauna there. Most of the paths had been cleared by Erik previously, but some parts of the trail had become overgrown. Abbie watched in delight as she watched Erik's strong shoulder muscles flex beneath his coveralls. She knew that he would look magnificent if he were doing this nude.

They reached another clearing where Erik had set up a jungle kitchen. They unloaded the supplies they had in their backpacks and Erik went into the jungle to pick some fruit. He came back with a mesh bag full of fruit and a cute little furry animal.

"This is a bush baby," Erik told them, handing the little animal to Abbie. "He must've got separated from his mother, he looks hungry," he said. "I dropped some fruit along the trail to help his mother find the way here," he told them. "This little fellow might even be sick, they're nocturnal animals, finding one out in the open during the day like I did is very rare. If his mother doesn't come looking for him tonight, I'll bring him home and get him healthy enough to return to the jungle," Erik told them.

Abbie's heart melted as Erik sat down beside her and petted the tiny animal. He loved animals, that was another point in his favor. He nursed them back to health and returned them to their habitat when they were well, more points. He was a rugged outdoorsman and an entrepreneur; the points were adding up quickly. Finally, he was a gentle and thorough lover. Unless he was already committed to someone, this was the man of Abbie's dreams.

Abbie fed the bush baby his favorite fruit as Erik prepared their lunch. It was by no means a gourmet meal, but it was filling and flavorful. When they were finished, Erik packed all of the empty containers and cooking equipment and they went to do some ziplining, leaving the bush baby at the campsite and the campsite as pristine as when they found it, except for food for their little friend.

They finally got to a small hill looking out over a valley below. On top of the hill a number of nanofiber cables were attached securely to a monolithic outcropping. Erik attached the harnesses to the cable and strapped everyone in, including himself. On his signal, everyone jumped out over the cliff, the harness and cable the only thing preventing them from falling to their death. Talk about exhilaration. Abbie, normally the most cautious, held Erik's hand as she jumped, looking for emotional support to overcome his fear. He held on to her hand until he had to release his grip, they were moving at slightly different rates due to the friction of the line.

They zipped over the trees, only missing the treetops by a meter as they plummeted downward toward the verdant field below them. When they all landed, Erik called for the shuttle to take them to the top again. After riding three more times, Erik told them that it was time to leave, he wanted to be at the camp when it got dark to see if the mother came to collect her baby. They sat at the edge of the clearing wearing night vision lenses until the sounds of the night time forest immersed them.

They heard the sounds of crying infants in the jungle. Concerned, they looked at Erik.

"Adult Bush Babies," Erik told them.

They watched several adults enter the clearing and take some of the fruit Erik had set out, but when they'd all left, their orphan was still there. Erik scooped up the small helpless animal and loaded him safely in the shuttle. Within the hour they were back at the shop. Erik had several small cages in the back room, where they were met by one of Erik's veterinary friend.

They waited until the vet had examined the baby Galago. When he had performed his examination, he reported that the animal was healthy, but was dehydrated and undernourished. He started an IV to help the tiny animal rehydrate and gave instructions to Erik to feed and care for the orphaned animal.

After the vet left, Erik pulled his single cot into the back room. He intended to sleep next to his patient that night.

What about your wife or girlfriend?" Abbie asked Erik.

"I haven't found a woman that agrees with my lifestyle. Skiing, surfing, trekking in the jungle, those types of women don't exist on Nirvana," Erik told her.

"I know one like that who lives on Eden," Abbie told him, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Does that woman appreciate a man that likes to live near the mountains and the beach? A man that leaves for days at a time leading tourist groups on adventure travel?" Erik probed. "Where would I find such a woman on Eden?" he asked.

Abbie's mouth was dry, her hands were moist with perspiration. "Well, I'm someone like that," Abbie said nervously.

Erik scooped her up in his strong arms and kissed her passionately. Erik packed the tiny bush baby in his cage and accompanied Abbie back to the ship to spend the rest of her stay on Nirvana with him.

By the end of the week, he had taken them to the beach and taught them to surf, the desert and back to the slopes to ski again until the time they had to leave. Abbie would never be the same. She had fallen in love and now she was leaving her man behind. Eden was her home. She belonged there with her family. It was a tearful parting as Abbie gave Erik her farewell, begging him to come to her on Eden. Erik said that he would do his best to make it there within the year. He needed to save his money over the next year's seasons before he could pay his way to Eden.

As everyone readied themselves for departure the Allgood boys, the Maxwell sisters and Rae were all ready to go. Only Mike was absent. Mike stood across the counter from Erik. He had paid their charges for his services last night, but told Erik that he had forgotten to leave a gratuity. Mike explained that his family had always tipped generously and he felt ashamed that he had forgotten that yesterday. Mike held his wrist out to transfer funds and thank Erik for his excellent service. Erik shook Mike's hand, never checking to see the amount Mike had tipped. They left as good friends.

At the end of the day, when the Starseeker was headed toward Heaven, Erik downloaded the data on his PIC to balance his books. The gratuity Mike had left was more than his entire income last season. His heart leapt with joy. Maybe he could make it to Eden before the end of the fiscal year!