Three Square Meals Ch. 055

"Thanks so much for sharing your lunch with us," he said gratefully to the gathered throng of blue-skinned women. "It looks like my crew enjoyed your cooking just as much as I did!"

The Maliri tittered happily, and looked to be having a wonderful time as they sat around and ate as well. John turned to look at Filaurel who was sitting close beside him, and asked, "Filaurel, I don't really know much about Maliri society, would you tell me about it?"

She gazed up at him, and said, "Of course, John, what would you like to know?"

He tilted his head to one side for a moment, then asked, "Well tell me a little about yourself first, and we'll see where the conversation takes us. You seem to be a very capable engineer, and you have no trouble with alien tech. You learnt how to dismantle these weapons in no time!"

She blushed, then said, "Thank you for the compliment. I've had many years experience at Genthalas, so a task like uncoupling these weapons is very easy to complete."

John frowned and said, "You can't have had that much experience. If you were a Terran, I'd say you weren't a day over twenty-five." He looked over at Rachel, and asked, "You like xeno-biology, Doctor, how old would you guess Filaurel is?"

Rachel smiled at him, and said, "Of course, it's terribly rude to ask a lady her age." She glanced around the Maliri women, and said, "But if I had to guess, all these women look young to me. I know Maliri are longer lived than Terrans, but I'd guess twenties to early thirties at most."

There was a chorus of laughter from the Maliri, and they smiled as they shook their heads.

John laughed along with them and asked, "Let me guess, we're way out?"

Thessalia took pity on him, and said softly, "I'm one-hundred-and-twelve in Terran years. Filaurel is a youngster, she's only eighty-five."

When John's jaw dropped in shock, the Maliri laughed all the more, and he exclaimed playfully, "I would have had no idea!"

Edraele's voice echoed in his mind, as she asked curiously, *I told you my age earlier, why are you surprised, my Lord?*

*Just putting them at their ease,* John explained. *I'm curious to know more about them, and it's hard to do that with them staring at me in astonished silence.*

Her voice sounded impressed as she said, *How intriguing. Please continue, my Lord.*

He looked at Filaurel again, and asked, "So how long have you been at Genthalas for?"

Warming up to his gentle conversation, Filaurel replied, "Just over thirty years. Before that I worked as a shuttle technician on Valaden, after ten years at technical academy there. I wasn't born on Valaden though, I grew up on a planet called Panala in a system near here."

"And how did you learn to speak such excellent English?" he asked her with a smile. "My Maliri is quite atrocious!"

Filaurel laughed, then said, "The Terrans have been broadcasting huge volumes of media for centuries. Your wonderful movies and shows are fascinating, and the Maliri pick up languages very easily, so most Maliri have learnt English from there. The Maliri only have a few state-sponsored broadcasters, and they are painfully dry and uninteresting."

John laughed, and said, "I'd never have imagined Terran culture was that pervasive."

"It is not unwelcome, honestly!" Filaurel said eagerly. "I used to watch many hours of Terran broadcasting when I was a child, before I went to college."

"Really?" John asked, "What sort of age do Maliri children normally go to professional colleges?"

"It varies by a few years, but usually by the age of twenty-five or so," Thessalia volunteered eagerly.

John smiled at her, and asked, "What made you decide to become an engineer, Thessalia?"

She looked confused, and replied, "I was allocated the profession based on my aptitude with mechanical devices."

"Maliri children don't get to pick their careers?" John asked her in surprise. He looked up at the nearby women, and asked, "Was that the same for you, Syndra?"

Syndra nodded, and said, "I was assigned to the Engineering College on my homeworld at twenty-four."

"What career did you follow, John," Filaurel asked him curiously.

He smiled at her, and replied, "I was in the Terran Federation military for ten years before I retired, and became a merchant for eleven years after that." He glanced over at the girls in his crew, and gave them a wink as he added, "For the last several months, I've been flying around the galaxy, rescuing beautiful women from danger."

The girls laughed at him affectionately, while the nearby Maliri swooned with delight. Luna was the first to recover, and she asked him in her quiet voice, "Do you have any family, John?"

He turned to look at her, and replied, "I don't know who my father was, and my mother disappeared shortly after I was born. I grew up with my grandparents, but they passed away fairly recently. I was on my own for a while, but I've grown close to my crew, and I consider them my family now."

Luna smiled at him wistfully, and asked, "Do you have any children?"

"Not yet," he replied, "But I'm looking forward to being a father when the time is right."

When he turned around, he saw doe-eyed looks from his crew, which he expected from them every time babies, or pregnancies were mentioned. He was surprised to see similar looks on the blue-skinned faces of the ten Maliri engineers he's been working with this morning.

"Do any of you ladies have children?" he asked the assembled throng.

There was a hushed quiet, and a look of sadness passed over many of the Maliri women. He looked at them in concern, and asked, "What's the matter? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset anyone."

Filaurel looked up at him, and explained softly, "Only the wealthy and powerful enter into negotiations with the men on the border stations. As engineers, we are neither, so it is unlikely that any of us will be blessed with children."

John's look of shock was genuine this time, as he asked, "How does your society survive?! I know the Maliri are long lived, but without any men around, the birth-rate is going to plummet."

Filaurel could only shrug helplessly, a forlorn look on her lovely azure face.

*The birth-rate has declined, you are quite correct, my Lord,* Edraele informed him sadly. *The men exiled themselves to the border stations approximately five centuries ago, and it has had a significant impact already.*

He let out a sigh, as he realised just how dysfunctional the current Maliri society was, and he was more determined than ever to do something to correct it. He reached over and took Filaurel's hand, squeezing it gently as he said encouragingly, "Things don't always have to stay the same way. Who knows? One day someone might come along and make some changes."

She gazed up at him with hope in her eyes, and he gave her a reassuring smile. He released her hand, then stood up, and said to everyone, "I hope you weren't offended by my questions. Please forgive my curious nature, I just find the Maliri fascinating, and wanted to learn more."

The Maliri women gave him loving smiles, and he knew immediately that none of them were upset with him. Sensing that lunch was over, everyone started to stand, and Rachel walked over to join him. "Thanks for encouraging them to talk about the Maliri, that was really interesting," she said to him in a hushed voice. " If you have a moment, I'd like to chat to you about something."

He nodded, looking at her curiously, then turned to search for his work crew, and said, "You ladies carry on with the rest of the weapon refit without me, I'll be back later. Focus on the Gatling Lasers for now, and leave the Laser Cannons for last, so I can assist."

The Maliri engineers nodded, smiling and waving goodbye as they walked away purposefully. He watched them leave for a moment, then said, to Rachel, "I'm meeting with Edraele before coming back to the ship. Do you want to walk with me, and we can talk on the way over there?"

"Of course," Rachel replied with an easy-going smile. She fell into step beside him, and they walked over to the maintenance gantries that led back down to the deck of the drydock.

John noticed that Luna, Almari and Ilyana were following close behind, and he smiled at them, before asking, "Would you ladies mind going on ahead to the shuttle? I'd like to have a private chat with Rachel."

"Of course, John," Luna said, smiling at him warmly as she bowed to him respectfully. The three Maliri assassins strolled away quickly to put some distance between them.

He turned to look at Rachel, and asked, "Now, what did you want to speak to me about?"

She began to walk with him at a slow pace, and she let out a sad sigh as she replied, "The Maliri. Hearing those poor women say that they'd never be able to have children was heartbreaking. We must be able to do something to fix Maliri society."

John nodded soberly, saying, "Even ten thousand years on, they're still suffering from the after-effects of the Mael'nerak's rule." He glanced her way, then added, "I'm working with Edraele to try and fix some of these problems. She only rules over House Valaden, but I'm hoping that if I can make her reign more benevolent, it might cause a ripple through the other noble Houses. If things improve back on the Coreworlds, then perhaps this ridiculous gender split might end naturally."

Rachel nodded thoughtfully, then said, "That's all very commendable, and I wholeheartedly approve. I was thinking of something a little more radical though..."

He stopped, and looked at her, asking, "That sounds intriguing. What's your brilliant mind cooked up now?"

The tawny haired girl gazed up at him, and he could see the bright sparkle of intelligence behind those grey eyes that he found so alluring. "I couldn't help but notice the effect the genetic behaviour modification is having on those Maliri women. I'm sure that if you asked, any one of them would be overjoyed at getting more intimate with you," she began cautiously.

John nodded, saying, "Yes, the effect is getting stronger on the women I've been near for longest. You aren't suggesting I go and knock a few of them up before we leave are you?"

Rachel smiled, and shook her head, as she replied, "They are beautiful, so I wouldn't blame you, but no, that's not what I'm suggesting." She looked him firmly in the eye and said, "The main driver for the problems in their society is their massively skewed gender birth ratio. It isn't natural, and was forced upon them by another Progenitor. I believe you can undo that."

He looked surprised, and said, "Really? How can you be sure?"

She looked away distantly for a moment, before saying, "We already know that Maliri behaviour modification makes them look upon Progenitors, and Progenitor affected Maliri more favourably. If you were to modify those women to fix the skewed birth gender ratios, then that 'fix' would eventually spread throughout their society. By being with you, their hair will turn white, marking them as 'Progenitor affected', and making them more attractive to Maliri males. I suspect at that point, when the Maliri behaviour modification kicks in, it will help override the normal wealth and power breeding rights."

John nodded thoughtfully, and said, "It might just work." He frowned, and said, "But we'll only be here a couple of days. As impressive as my powers of recuperation are, I'll only be able to fill up a handful of girls at most."

"I doubt you need to blow them up like a balloon," she giggled. "As fun as it is to be on the receiving end, I'm sure a far smaller quantity will be enough. Do you remember I mentioned a while ago about Progenitors affecting large numbers of women at once. I sincerely doubt they do that by stuffing each one to the brim with cum."

"Actually, I think you're spot on," he said with surprise. "Alyssa said something very similar earlier. She was adamant that only a small mouthful would link a Maliri woman to Edraele, and I bet the hair change would go hand-in-hand with that."

She grinned at him, and said, "Perfect! So between now and when we leave, just share some out with as many Maliri as you can. I'm sure Jade could help, she's always coming up with fun ways of 'sharing' with us girls."

John smiled, and nodded, before looking more serious and saying, "But how do we know it's going to work the way we intended, and fix the birth ratio? Isn't it normally males that determine the gender of a baby with XY or XX chromosomes in sperm?"

"Very good," she commended him. "Yes, that's normally correct, but with the Progenitor preoccupation with females, I bet he's tweaked their eggs instead. If I was an evil Progenitor doing it, I'd modify the eggs to block nine out of ten XY sperm instead."

"Alright," John agreed, "But how do we get the cum they ingest to effect them that way?"

"Just think what you want to change, and it'll happen," Rachel said decisively. "I'm sure your latent psychic abilities guide all this, without you having any real need to control it more than by desire alone."

John gave her a curious look, and asked, "How can you be so sure?"

Rachel looked confused for a moment, then admitted ruefully, "I'm sorry, it's not through any scientific testing or anything definitive. I'm just certain I'm right."

"More of my Progenitor knowledge leaking out?" he asked her, quite intrigued.

She smiled and replied, "That would be my best guess, yes."

He blew out his breath, then glanced at her and said, "OK, so let me summarise then. You want me to get Jade to help me feed my cum to as many Maliri girls as possible, while concentrating on healing them of this gender ratio skewing change the Mael'nerak made. Then they'll be seen as desirable mates, and this fix will eventually spread throughout their population?"

"Exactly!" she said enthusiastically.

"I'll see what I can do," he said to her with a smile.

Rachel gave him a tight hug, and said, "Thank you. I'm sure we're doing the right thing."

John hugged her back, then gave her a quick kiss. She smiled at him, then started to walk back to the ship and her work crew, who were busy preparing the central core through the Invictus.

"Oh, what was it you wanted to speak to me about regarding Progenitor-John?" he called after her curiously.

She turned and replied, "It can wait, we'll talk about it later." Giving him a friendly smile and a wave goodbye, she walked away, returning across the maintenance gantry to the Invictus.

He leaned against the nearby safety railing, and looked out over the assault cruiser from his vantage point on the gantry, watching the dozens of engineers who were busy working hard on the refit. Calara and her team were removing armour plating sections from the ship, and turning it from a glossy white to a drab grey, as the Titanium superstructure was revealed beneath. Rachel's central core team were manoeuvring a huge cutting beam into position above the Invictus, and he saw them greet the tawny haired girl as she jogged over to rejoin them. Finally his attention was drawn to the women from his engineering crew, who were clustered together around several grav platforms. He watched as they carefully prepared them so that they would be able to safely access, then uncouple, the weapons on the side of the hull.

Impressed by the diligence and hard work of these Maliri, he nodded to himself, making his mind up to do whatever it took to help them. Filled with a refreshing sense of purpose, he turned and strolled away, heading to Edraele's shuttle.

***

"Thanks for your help, Alyndra, this is perfect!" Dana said gleefully, as she looked down at the four large ore containers carefully loaded on a pair of grav-sleds.

She had taken the lid off the first two containers, revealing a dark brown metal in one, and a dull orange one in another. Nodding with satisfaction, she resealed the containers, locking the lids back into place with a soft metallic click.

Alyndra smiled at her, and replied, "I should be thanking you, Dana." She added wistfully, "I just wish you could stay longer, we could learn so much from you."

Dana grinned and said, "I'd love to stay and talk more science, but we're in the middle of a major refit, sorry!"

The Maliri lead technician sighed, then said in a voice heavy with regret, "I should be apologising for the way I treated you before. If you should ever need my assistance again, I promise I'll trust you unreservedly next time."

"Thanks, Alyndra," Dana said with a gracious smile, then nodded to Irillith, who was standing at the ready with the remotes. She turned back to the Lead technician, and added, "You're welcome to come and visit me at the drydock though, I'd be happy to answer any other physics questions you've got."

"I'll come and find you later!" Alyndra said enthusiastically, and Dana gave her a friendly wave goodbye.

Irillith began to walk ahead, back the way they came to the drydock, with the grav-sleds following along obediently behind her. Alyssa strolled along at her side, and Dana fell into step next to her. Makaela was absent, having excused herself hours ago, claiming that she needed to attend to some urgent business. However, Alyssa could tell by the hungry gleam in her sapphire eyes exactly where she really intended to go.

Before Makaela left, Dana had dictated a list of common elements to have brought to the drydock, and the Shipyard Commander had grudgingly taken note of them all. She had balked at the redhead's request for fifty tons of Maliri crystal to be grown to a specific formula, protesting that she'd never be able to have that much prepared at short notice. When pressed by Irillith, Makaela conceded sullenly that if she brought more of Genthalas' dormant crystal manufacturing labs online, she could grow the amount they required within a couple of hours.

Alyssa suspected that the real reason for Makaela's reluctance had been the fact that she would now have to oversee the manufacturing process, rather than go and stare at John for hours. Rolling her eyes, she'd promised that if the Shipyard Commander did a good job, they'd let her "closely oversee" the weapons team he was working with. Makaela had eventually jogged away with an added spring in her step.

"So what's the plan with the psychic shaping?" Dana asked Alyssa curiously, distracting the blonde from her thoughts of the grumpy Shipyard Commander. "Do you want to keep out of sight in the Invictus' Cargo Bay?"

Alyssa smiled at her, and shook her head saying, "With John showing off his super-strength, me using telekinesis probably won't raise any pulses."

"I doubt they'd even notice what you're up to if John's around," Irillith remarked dryly.

Alyssa laughed, and said, "Yes, he does seem very popular with you azure-hued ladies."

Irillith smiled at her, and joked, "We can't get enough of his pointy ears."

Dana chortled at that, and gave the Maliri woman a comradely pat on the shoulder as they walked along. Irillith was initially startled at the contact, and she glanced over at the redhead who gave her a cheerful grin. She relaxed, and just let herself enjoy the novel feeling of belonging to a group, despite the strangeness of not having to watch what she said or did around these girls. When she turned to look the other way at the blonde gliding along with perfect poise beside her, Alyssa gave her a warm and knowing smile.

***

Jade carefully powered up the engines on the Raptor, slowly lifting off from the Hangar Bay floor inside the Invictus. They had already stripped the armour plating and weapons off the gunship, and the reduced weight had made the Raptor more twitchy and sensitive to movements of the flightstick. She slowly drifted out to port, clearing the huge Hangar doors in the cruiser's hull, then feathered the retro-thrusts with care to avoid accidentally overshooting her landing area. When she had drifted out a few dozen metres, she brought the Raptor down to a gentle rest on the deck of the drydock, in an area highlighted by a glowing orange circle. Nodding with satisfaction, she powered down the engines, and started quickly running through her shutdown sequence.