Three Square Meals Ch. 126

Smiling fondly at the grinning Nymph embracing her, Jade whispered in Neysa's ear, "Why don't you head up to the Observatory? Alyssa wants to reward you for being such a clever girl."

"Really?" Neysa gushed, her hazel eyes sparkling with joy.

Jade nodded eagerly, enjoying seeing the normally-dignified catgirl lose some of her composure in her excitement.

***

John sat up and stretched, letting out a contented sigh. "I really needed that," he said, placing a hand on Alyssa's swollen belly.

"It was lovely, John... thank you," she said softly, caressing his arm.

He kissed her then reluctantly started to dress. "I better not keep Dana waiting any longer."

Alyssa laughed and reclined on the bed, cradling her midriff. "Don't worry, she was glad to hear you were getting some stress relief and unloading your quad."

"That wasn't about stress relief, honey," he said, turning to look in her eyes.

"I know," she replied with an adoring smile.

He kissed the blissful teenager, then padded across the bed to tug on his boots. "I'll help Sparks with your experiment first, then we'll build the new sensor array."

"Don't do too much," Alyssa said, snuggling under the covers. "Remember you've still got a lot of armour shaping to do this afternoon."

"I'll be careful not to burn myself out," he promised, returning her wave goodbye and heading for the door.

It opened before he reached it and Neysa burst through, a twinkle in her cat-like eyes. "Master, I'm so glad you're here! I managed to shapeshift into a dolphin!"

"Wow! That's amazing, honey!" he exclaimed, wrapping her in his arms. He kissed the catgirl on top of her head, nuzzling into her light-brown hair. "I'm so proud of you, Neysa."

She let out a sultry moan, pressing her trembling figure against him. "Oh my... that was even better than I imagined!"

John chuckled, then reluctantly released the ecstatic Nymph. He looked into her eyes and stroked her toned stomach. "Go ahead and enjoy your lunch. I'm looking forward to feeling even closer to you when you've got a full tummy."

She beamed a dazzling smile at him and nodded, the gleam of total devotion in her hazel-eyed gaze.

He left Neysa in Alyssa's tender care, then exited the Observatory to cross the bridge over the Lagoon. Jade and her sisters were playing in the water, the four nymphs transformed into a school of dolphins that were racing around the artificial lake. They were strong enough swimmers to leap over the bridge itself and he applauded as he watched their display.

Jade shifted mid-leap and landed lightly a few paces ahead of him. "Hi, Master!"

"Hi, honey," he said, greeting her with a kiss. "Neysa told me the good news... and it looks like you've already trained her sisters."

"She's very clever, John," Jade said with admiration. "Neysa worked out a way to subvert her limitations that I'd never thought of before. It makes things... considerably easier."

"That's great news," he said, genuinely pleased. "I never thought your sisters would be able to teach you anything, but you working together to come up with something new is brilliant."

Jade looked at him with a soft smile, then leaned in for a tender kiss. "We're very lucky girls."

"I've discussed the Sakura plan with Alyssa and we've made some decisions. Would you like me to let you back into my mind? I promise I won't upset you again."

"Yes please! I'm thrilled about Neysa, but that's the best news I've heard all day!"

He released the blocks on his mental fortress, readmitting Jade. Deciding it was safe for the other matriarchs too, he also let Alyssa and Edraele back into his mind.

*Sorry, ladies. Just happy thoughts from now on,* he said, greeting them with an apologetic smile.

The trio didn't have to say anything, he could feel their elation across their empathic bond. Jade waved goodbye and dove back into the water to play with her sisters, leaving John free to cross the bridge to the other side. He travelled down in the grav-tube to Deck Seven, then made his way along the corridor to the Engineering Bay.

When the door opened, he strode inside, spotting Dana and Rachel up on the Engineering Podium. They were both so engrossed in their research, that neither seemed to have noticed his arrival, their focused gaze flicking between the holo screens arrayed above their consoles. John watched them in fascination, curious to know what they were working on that could keep them that captivated. Rachel was studying a series of DNA helixes, four separate strands appearing on individual screens. Dana had three screens floating in front of her, the first couple obviously Progenitor schematics, while on the third screen he recognised the spidery text from the Vulcat tech archive.

"That looks complicated," he said to the girls, making them both jump.

Dana flashed him a grin. "You bastard! I'll have to redraw that bit now."

"John!" Rachel protested, her hand on her chest. "You scared the hell out of me!"

He moved behind her and wrapped the brunette in his arms, placing a hand over her thumping heart. "Shh..." he whispered in her ear. "You're safe now."

Rachel melted in his embrace, letting out a breathy sigh as she relaxed. "Mmm... you're forgiven."

"Hey! Where's my hug?" Dana asked indignantly.

He winked at the redhead. "Just a moment, Sparks. I need to make sure Rach isn't scared anymore."

"It might be a while before I'm feeling brave enough for you to let go," the doctor said with a smile, leaning up to kiss him.

"That's no problem. Why don't you tell me what you're working on while we wait?"

She turned to look at the screens again. "I felt particularly inspired this morning, so I decided to delve into my cures for incurable diseases research."

"How's that going so far?"

"I've been working through the list based on lethality versus frequency of outbreaks. Risley's Fever is highly contagious and has a 90% fatality rate, but fortunately it's very rare. Staunton's Syndrome crops up regularly in the Outer Rim; the fatality rate is comparatively low at 10% but it's a big killer due to the number of cases."

"Hey, I know someone who died of Staunton's Syndrome!" John exclaimed, looking at the brunette with newfound respect. "You really managed to cure it?"

"I have... and I'm sorry I was too late to save your friend."

He gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, he wasn't a friend. We went through the academy together and he got his jollies tormenting new recruits. He got posted to a garrison out in the ass end of nowhere and caught Staunton's from the locals."

"It's a nasty way to go, bleeding to death from seeping pustules," Rachel noted with clinical detachment.

"Jesus!" Dana exclaimed, shuddering with revulsion. "Let's skip the details please!"

The brunette rolled her eyes at Dana's outburst. "Sorry, I forgot how squeamish you are."

"Is that Staunton's Syndrome up there?" John asked, pointing to the holo-screens.

Rachel shook her head. "As I was on a roll, I decided to tackle one of the most debilitating diseases in the Terran Federation medical databases."

He looked at the screen with trepidation. "What is it?"

"Man Flu. I looked into it, but developing a cure far exceeds my meagre capabilities."

John laughed as he realised she was joking and started tickling her. "Work harder! You need to cure that one, damnit!"

She giggled, writhing in his arms. "I can't! The symptoms are mostly psychosomatic!"

After he eventually let her go, John shook his head in mock disappointment. "Your reputation just took a big hit, Angel of Terra."

Rachel pouted, then gave him a sheepish smile. "The influenza virus actually does effect men and women differently, but that's not what I'm looking at up there. I was studying some of the more difficult cancers to treat and I had a theory that you could generate a template for a person based on a genetic sample... in a similar way to you resetting us every time we ingest your cum."

"Kind of like a cloning template?" Dana asked, listening with interest.

"Yes, essentially," she agreed. "You could potentially grow replacement body parts for any that had become cancerous."

"So you could make a copy of any of us?" John asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I know what you're thinking, but a fully grown clone would have a brain that lacked the synapses and neurons formed by the memories of that person's lifetime," Rachel explained patiently. "You'd need to grow a fully viable clone, then find a way to update the brain with everything that made the original person... them."

"Damn... so I can't just insert a coin and get another life?" Dana asked, grinning at her girlfriend.

"I'm afraid not," the brunette replied, with a sympathetic smile.

John kissed her on the cheek. "That was interesting, thanks for the explanation. Oh and well done on coming up with those cures... you're going to save a lot of lives."

"Thanks, John. I'll transmit the data to the T-Fed Medical Administration when we reach T-Fed territory."

"Now me!" Dana exclaimed, turning around and glancing over her shoulder at John. "Where's my hug?"

John gave Rachel a final squeeze, then moved behind the redhead to wrap his arms around her. "So what've you been working on, Sparks?"

"I felt like Rach this morning; really fired up and ready to go!" she replied, snuggling into his embrace. "I've nearly built all the parts for the Hyper-Pulse generator and when I spoke to Little One earlier, she said the maintenance bots would help put it together for me. I've also just about finished rewriting the schematics for the sensor array so that we can use Crystal Alyssium instead. I'll start cranking out what I can with the Mass Fabricators, but I could use your help making the rest."

"Of course. It sounds like you've been doing a fantastic job," John said, impressed by her hard work. He nodded towards the holo-screen that was rapidly cycling through Vulkat schematics. "What about the tech archive? Found anything else interesting?"

"Not really. There's just so much irrelevant junk in there, it's hard to find the gems in all the trash. It doesn't help that the Vulkat indexes aren't ordered alphabetically, or in any logical order I can figure out. I've tried searching for about a hundred different variations of 'Psychic Communications System', but got nowhere."

John paused, a frown on his face. "Didn't Alyssa say something about Nkkrrit's psychic connection? Wasn't it called the Vulkat's song?"

*Nkkrrit called it: 'The Hymn of the Vulkat',* Alyssa informed them a moment later.

"Maybe try checking for something along those lines?" John suggested with a shrug.

Dana nodded eagerly, turning her attention back to the Vulkat archives. "I'll run some search filters, see what I can find..." she said, tapping away at the glowing keyboard.

John kissed her on the cheek, then rested his chin on her shoulder as he watched her work. "Do you still need my help for Alyssa's gravity well test?"

She nodded, turning away from the holo-screen to return the kiss. "If you can shape some Crystal Alyssium twenty times for me, we can start the test as soon as you're finished."

"Sure," He released her and pulled away, then headed down the steps towards the ore crates.

"Holy shit!" Dana blurted out, after he'd barely gone five steps. "You're a fricking genius! You found it!"

"Already?!" he asked in surprise, whirling around to see what she'd discovered.

"See! There it is!" the redhead exclaimed doing a celebratory dance.

John stared at the image, which showed an expanded view of the long trailing legs of a massive Vulkat warship. The legs contained intricate vanes, connected together in an elaborate web-like structure.

He studied them curiously, then read the title on the schematic out loud, "Voices raised in exultation."

Dana rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I know, right? Who names their tech stupid shit like that? No wonder I couldn't find the damn thing!"

"They remind me of those devices we saw on the hull of that Kirrix dreadnought," he muttered, recalling the vanes on the ugly insectoid ship.

"It looks as though it's some kind of psychic enhancer," Dana mused, tapping a finger on her chin. "This system must be compatible with the Kirrix version, because Nkkrrit traded tech with them."

John stood beside his Chief Engineer and glanced her way. "Are you able to reverse engineer it?"

"Should be easy enough..." she murmured, her eyes flicking from side to side as she memorised the schematic. "But the Invictus would look like some crazy-ass spider if we stuck those legs on our butt. Give me some time to think about it and I'll see if I can make a few tweaks."

"Then we can just transmit the schematics for the psychic enhancer over the T-Fed comms network to the Maliri and the Ashanath," John said, smiling with satisfaction. "Instantly sharing classified tech with our allies will make life so much easier."

"Yeah, definitely," Dana agreed, before turning and skipping down the steps from the engineering podium. "Okay, go grab some Crystal Alyssium, I need you to make a protective shell around a sensor I put together."

John did as she asked and siphoned off some of the psychically responsive metal, then wasted no time in shaping it repeatedly to make it as resilient as possible.

Walking over to join him, Dana held a device the size of her fist in the palm of her hand. "Remember, when you get to the twentieth shaping, make something to protect this."

He nodded, watching the malleable substance as it repeatedly shifted from cubes to spheres. When he had reshaped it enough, he pictured an image in his mind, then gestured at the sensor and levitated it off Dana's hand. The Crystal Alyssium enveloped the device, then gradually expanded to form a very familiar shape.

"Okay that really is perfect," Dana said with a grin, gleefully patting him on the back as she stared at the miniaturised model of the Invictus. "Hold it steady and I'll create a gravity well."

John kept the model in the air, then watched as the redhead's eyes began to glow. A black orb sprang into existence with a low groan, the circumference shrouded in a golden aura.

"Alright, let me just ramp up the force a bit..." she muttered, her face set in a mask of concentration.

The model began to tremble violently, but John held it in place with a robust telekinetic net, preventing it from being pulled into the singularity. The pull got greater and greater, then there was a high-pitched cracking sound and the model's hull splintered, the miniaturised Invictus folding inwards like a crushed tin can.

Dana winced and shot John a worried look. "Uh oh..."

"Damn, we wrecked that sensor too," John said with a frown. "I guess we'll have to do another test."

She dismissed her black hole and shook her head. "No, we're fine; the data was being uploaded remotely. I'll just forward the results to Alyssa and we're finished."

"It looks like it's back to the drawing board with her theory," he said, trying not to feel too disappointed.

"Not necessarily... remember that model didn't have a Null Inertia Gyroscope to protect it."

"True," he conceded with a smile. "Okay, so what's next?"

"Now you get to help me be the first non-Thrall, to build a Quantum Omni-phase Scan Array in thousands of years!" she said with a theatrical flourish. "Be warned, there's a shitload to do and it's incredibly complicated... we've basically got a real bitch of an afternoon ahead of us."

"I'll help," Rachel volunteered, walking down the steps to join them.

"Thanks, babes," the redhead said, kissing her gratefully.

"Engineering Assistant Blake reporting for duty," John said, slipping an arm around her waist. "I'm all yours."

She crinkled her nose at him, followed by an affectionate kiss. Pulling back, she then clapped her hands together imperiously. "Enough slacking, minions! Let's get to work!"

***

Kali Loraleth smiled at the House Valaden guards standing outside Edraele's suite, then walked inside, looking for the Maliri Queen. Breezing through the foyer, she was pleased to find her mentor reclining on a chaise longue in the middle of the next room. Luna was there too, the assassin gently massaging her lover's temples.

"Oh, is this a bad time?" Kali asked, faltering in the entrance to the living room when she saw the Queen's personal bodyguard in attendance.

Edraele sat up and waved the young woman over to join her. "No, this is perfect; Luna was just helping me ease away a tension headache. I've actually been meaning to speak with you, Kali."

"I'll give you some privacy," Luna murmured, stepping away.

"You don't have to leave because of me," Kali was quick to protest. "Feel free to stay if you want."

Edraele patted the seat beside her and smiled at the assassin. "Please stay, my love."

Luna slid onto the seat, then turned to pull the Queen back so she was resting against her chest. When Edraele was settled with her head nestled in the assassin's cleavage, Luna continued massaging her temples.

"What happened? Are you alright?" Kali asked with concern, sitting on the other side of the sofa.

Edraele nodded, reaching out to clasp her hand. "I'm fine now, it's almost passed. The afternoon was... stressful... so Luna insisted on doing whatever she could to make me feel better."

Kali suddenly looked anxious. "I hope it wasn't stressful because of me?"

"No, darling girl... it was nothing to do with you," Edraele reassured her. "The discussion between John and his crew took all of my attention. I must confess that I heard very little of your conversation with Sarinia... did I miss anything important?"

"I wondered why you never said a word!" Kali blurted out, her eyes widening. "Oh, I hope I didn't say something I shouldn't have..."

Edraele looked at her with concern. "What did you discuss exactly?"

"Ah... all sorts of things," Kali admitted, nibbling her lip nervously. "The civil war, John, the Young Matriarchs, them being pregnant, the war with the Progenitor and the Brimorians..."

Edraele let out an exasperated sigh. "Kali..."

"I only told her things the other matriarchs already know!" the young woman quickly replied. "We didn't discuss psychic powers, or John's girls, or anything that might cause trouble if Gaenna found out about it."

"You really only discussed events that the Council of Matriarchs are already aware of?" the Maliri Queen pressed, looking at her intently.

"I promise!" Kali gasped, nodding her head. "When you didn't say anything, I still wasn't comfortable talking too freely. I was very careful to only discuss things that the matriarchs know."

"It sounds like you handled the situation exceptionally well," Edraele said, stroking Kali's hand. "Did you manage to find out what Sarinia's doing here by any chance?"

"She'd grown suspicious of her mother's strange behaviour and was desperate to find out what was happening outside House Baelora territory. As Gaenna had ensconced herself here at Genthalas, Sarinia decided to come here to meet with her in person and get some answers."

"What of her sisters?" Edraele asked, relaxing again in Luna's embrace.

Kali shrugged apologetically. "We didn't really discuss them."

The Queen smiled at her young companion. "There I was, hoping for some exciting bit of intrigue, but it sounds more like idle curiosity that brought Gaenna's daughters here."

"I think so too," Kali agreed, suddenly looking pensive. "Edraele... I spoke to Sarinia about her mother flaunting the ban on neural whips. Now that she's aware that you rule the Maliri Protectorate on John's behalf, Sarinia was eager for you to chastise Gaenna for blatantly flaunting the rules. Her only request was that you keep her identity a secret."

"I'm sure something can be arranged..." Edraele said, her smile broadening into a wicked grin. "I've been waiting a long time to put Gaenna in her place."