Zai and Tim Pt. 02

My head is pounding, I have tears in my eyes; I ask, "Do you have something like what we call aspirin? It helps headaches."

Carla looks sad, "Sorry, they said no drugs of any kind. A neck and shoulder massage may help. I don't mind helping."

Both Queens pass a glance at each other that Carla didn't see. I found it amusing.

Mom says in a soft voice, "At one time, I was terrific myself. Let's see what I can do."

Carla lifted my legs and turned me, so my back is towards mom. She does have magic hands. She is soft and hard at times. She is always gentle in that it never hurts. It takes about ten minutes before I feel better. In that time, more security showed up and hauled away the researcher. She went kicking and screaming.

Monica says, "Well, I don't see what the big fuss is about. Sure, it's fun. However, I would not say it's a world-changing moment for me. I have had better."

Mom is the first to reply, "Oh Monica, you're full of shit. I have known you for many years. We have had fun together several times. You never looked like you do now. You control just under half the galaxy, so I won't call you a liar."

Carla cut mom off, "I will. You can't say it's nothing special when you have that smug smile plastered on your face. You had a hell of a lot of fun. I know I sure did. It's OK to admit it. Our world is changing for the better or the worse. You might just as well enjoy the better; there will be plenty of worse for a while."

That's a surprisingly accurate insight. Re-introducing men without much education is going to be rough for a while. They will take low-level jobs. Those women will be unhappy and complain or riot. Yes, significant changes are on the way. They don't have a choice, though, or it won't matter as the population level starts decreasing.

A dozen women come in with a thin board. Together, they lift me up and place me on the stretcher. I didn't notice the handles. Mom looks unhappy to be losing me. The way she looked after me, I am baffled. She acted like a real mother that cared about me. Mom stays behind, only Carla follows along.

Carla tells me, "I get the first six hours of watching you. Your sisters will each get a six-hour watch. Then I will take the last six again at the end. We will feed you, and we have a machine to empty your bladder. Anything else ... hold it." She smiles. "I want you to be a good patient; otherwise, I will have to hurt you. We're going to need you for going home."

I head this off now, "Oh no. There are no 'we,' going home. Only my family. You're a princess, next in line to be the Queen; you have to stay here with your mother."

She is way ahead of me, "We are going to recall our ambassador to your planet; I will take their place."

I one-up her, "Ha, I don't live on a planet; I deliver cargo. My home is the vastness of space."

Carla gives me a sly smile, "Good luck with that. You saved your Queen, her family and prevented a galaxy war. Do you think that will go unnoticed? You are instantly going to be THE most recognizable and respected man. Even if a planet doesn't have a DNA issue, they will want men to prevent the issues we're having. Most women will know you're smart, caring, and they will eventually hear you're great in bed. Your sisters can't save you from that."

With a dejected voice, I mumble, "A princess can."

Now I am frustrated, "Why are you doing this? You don't need to. You can stay here and be pampered for life."

I can see the air deflate from Carla; she is frustrated with me. She doesn't want to explain everything. She is working out how to explain it to me.

Carla starts slow, like she is still figuring this out, "The older women on this planet descended from women that had it pretty rough. You know the stories. The stories are passed as generations pass, but the anger doesn't follow; nobody telling the stories today was personally a victim or saw it first hand. My generation is curious. I guess it's rebelling against our parents. They say men are evil, so of course, we think they're hiding something from us.

"Then you come along. You're intelligent, quick, and witty. You're not hard on the eyes either. It's not kitten cute, but there's something about you and the way you carry yourself. You're more confident than a man has the right to be. You seem to know everything before we do. You even caught on almost immediately about our issue. You really blew their minds when you volunteered to do what they couldn't force you to do."

I'm unhappy, "You're missing the point. You are an important person too. I would almost say critical for your way of life. It makes no sense to come with us. There's nothing logical or even remotely wise about doing this. If something happens to your mother, immediately, they will pick a successor. Unless you're standing there, it won't be you. This makes no sense. This is madness!"

Carla confidently says, "This is love."

I scoff at her, "Love? What do we even know about each other? I have known you for two days. How many women have you dated for longer than that, and you thought they were in love? Besides, I have no clue what love is. I have had two families of women that hated me. One tossed me to the curb the day I was born, and the other respected my knowledge but hated me for being a man. Look at my back if you ever need to see the lack of love I have received over the years. No. This love thing does not exist for me."

Carla senses victory, "You may have a crystal ball to see the future, or you're as smart as people think, but when it comes to women, you're pretty damn stupid. I happen to be an expert on the subject."

She has me there; I do NOT understand women. There is a knock on the door. Carla answers, they talk, and then she comes back.

Carla looks startled, "At 10:00 PM tonight, gunmen executed over two hundred people on this and your mother's planet. Mom knew most of the women here, and four were close friends of mine." She starts to cry.

Mom walks into my room crying.

Mom instructs Carla, "Your mother needs you. I will watch over my son. If you think of it, I would like refreshments and snacks."

Mom comes closer and sits on the bed. I let her cry a while on her own. She doesn't need me right now. Hell, I am the cause of her sadness. She may hate me for what I had my people do.

With tears in her eyes, Mom says, "Most of my council is dead. Many have been close personal friends for many years. A bunch of corporate executives were eliminated or are missing. Almost exclusively, warship and cargo companies would have waged war for their own benefit. The health care companies wanted no part of a war. All those people, my friends, were willing to let my entire family die, so they could take over or make money. I will never see them again."

She hugs me and wails from the emotional pain. Nothing I can say will help. Nothing I can do will help.

After a few minutes, I tell mom, "You need to go. You must write and record a speech. The people will want to hear from you. It's best if you blame me."

Communications are faster by ship than a light signal. Since the discovery of worm drive, a method of travel that's faster than the speed of light, it's quicker to use a ship to send the message than via light.

Oh yeah, worm drive. Everyone knows space is three-dimensional; the fastest route is a straight line. Nope. Space is actually more like tri-colored spiral pasta. It spins on itself. Worm drive allows for faster travel. You get on at the right place, and you move much faster between points. You can't always get off exactly where you want, but it's generally close enough. It changed space travel from centuries to months or even a day in some cases.

It all depends on where you enter and exit. Scientists agree that some ancient aliens created the "inner" space as the entry and exit points are too predictable. The first few ships that stumbled onto the entrances died because they didn't know how to move. It took an inventor, a brilliant Captain, Janet Marshall, twenty years to develop the worm drive, which allows easy entry and exit from "inner" space or, as most people call it, the "Space Highway."

Ok, back to our story...

Mom shoots down my suggestion, "You are going to be a national hero for saving your family. I can't have them hating you for doing what I wanted and needed. I am sad that so many of my friends are dead. However, they were all willing to see me die; my sadness has limits. I need to look strong and ruthless to my enemies. No, you don't get credit. It would harm you, and this way, it helps me. I am now the badass Queen that killed her friends.

"You are right; I do need to write a hell of a speech. Monica and I discussed the need already, and we have a coordinated message of unity and strength. Now that I know who wanted me dead, I can finalize the speech and target specific groups. I will get Tamara for you. I have lost enough friends; I will not have you die on me as well."

Almost on cue, all three of my sisters walk into my room, followed by a procession of women with tables, beverages, and snack foods. I move to get out of bed, and mom uses a hand to hold me in place.

Mom says caringly, "Oh no, you don't. You stay right there. They will bring whatever you want to you. You aren't moving a muscle buster." She yells out, "You hear me? Tim does not move a muscle. No stimulating him either. They want to keep all pressure off his brain."

Tamara adds, "We were given very explicit instructions. We want him alive and healthy; we will be good."

I question them, "Um. Shouldn't someone be sleeping? You might have the next nine hours."

Tammi is excited, "We couldn't decide on shifts, so we took them all. It will work out. We have a lot of catching up to do."

They get a variety of drinks and snacks. Everything was awesome. Well, almost everything. They took the instructions a bit too literal. I can't lift a fork or spoon. My hands are slapped for reaching for a drink. They have a blast feeding me like a toddler. They enjoyed this way too much.

Carla never came back; I guess I overestimated how much she liked me. That meant that my sisters got stuck with me for twenty-four hours. They spent most of it discussing the list of people that were killed. My sisters knew the people, but just professionally. They knew which ones were close to mom and which would hurt her the most.

Nobody has said anything yet, but the police and the news organizations were sent the evidence proving the people who plotted to kill their Queen for profit or power. That will keep them all busy for months.

After nine hours of listening to them talk, it stopped being interesting. They all looked concerned, but it was Trudy who surprised me. She takes off her shirt. Button by button, she slowly unbuttons her shirt.

Tammi asks Trudy apprehensively, "Trudy? What are you doing?"

Trudy huffs and says with an irritated voice, "Tim's been up for about twenty-four hours now, he looks sleepy, and the stories of mom's friends are wearing off. I thought I might capture his interest for a while."

For six hours, they remove blouses and pants. No real skin is showing yet. Trudy is hinting at removing her bra when both Queens, Carla, and Mary come to see us. Everyone is in good spirits but Mary. I figured she would show up sooner or later.

Trudy is quick to explain, "He's exhausted and near sleep. Talking can only do so much. We took it upon ourselves to do whatever was necessary to save his life. He likes naked women a lot. I started teasing him, and as you can see, they followed my lead as needed. He did NOT fall asleep. We are tired, is someone taking over?"

Trinity laughs, "Oh my, you are so funny. We have been up all night writing our speeches and consulting with each other. We need a united front. Then we must explain Tim and his part. Mary shows up, taking credit for the hacking, intelligence gathering, and killing. The population will accept Mary doing this much easier than they will you. In time, the truth will get out. You will eventually be given the credit you deserve."

Tammi asks, "Does he get credit for saving us?"

Monica replies, "Oh yes. That is critical to our plan. Because he saved both Queens, he will be a hero. That makes it easier to transition into our DNA issues and the need for more men. Then I can add my research findings, and that will help skyrocket demand."

Before I can say anything, Tamara asks Monica, "You made it seem like it wasn't anything special. Didn't you say you still prefer a woman?"

Monica is careful with her words, "Well. Let me see. How do I say this? OK. In general, I do prefer women. I don't think I could just fuck a random man. They're crude. Tim though. He is educated, amusing, articulate, and as wise a person as I have met. He was gentle with me and made sure I had a fantastic time." She says while reminiscing, "I had the best sex I have ever had. And if any of you repeat what I just said, you will be in the dungeon in nano-seconds!"

Mary is irritated, "He is also passive-aggressive, patronizing, and a smart-ass. He can really piss you off at times."

Tamara says with venom on her breath, "Oh yes, we all saw your handiwork on his back."

Mary doesn't flinch; she doesn't regret what she did to me. The entire room took notice of that. Mary isn't a people person. She deals in facts, software, and test tubes. The room is quickly turning hostile.

Mary can see the hostility in their eyes. She doesn't understand the love in their eyes. Mary doesn't understand love. I fear she will get a lesson soon if she keeps this up.

Carla points out, "Tim has been a whole lot of help so far. He will become an instant celebrity and desired by millions of women."

Mary counters, "I think YOU are delusional. He is still just a man. He is smart; I will grant you that. However, I put him in place and provided him a capable spaceship, so he could do all of those things."

Tammi says back, "No. You sent him on an impossible mission. One that you both knew he was most likely not going to survive. So, don't give me your bull shit. My brother is ten times the person you are."

Mary laughs at her, "He is no more your brother than I am your sister. I picked him out of the gutter, a home that kept kids alive enough to collect government money. They test kids for intelligence so they can sell the smart ones. He was off the charts, and I paid good money. He is my property, so I don't give a damn what you say."

Damn, is that how she sees me? I am just a piece of property? What a bitch. How do I respond? I don't get a chance.

Monica jumps all over Mary figuratively, "What a pathetic excuse of a human being you are. Even on my planet, where we genuinely despise men, they are still free people. We don't send them on suicide missions. You might want to chat with his ship; it seems to think Trinity is his real birth mother, which makes those three beautiful women his real-life sisters.

"I think you better change your attitude damn quick. I don't think you have done squat to help us. He has won us all over based on his intelligence and his actions. Your organization has, but you personally, will be lost in history."

Monica looks at the wall, "Open a comm monitor on the west wall." A monitor appears. "Open a channel to Tim's ship and address it to Zai."

Mary spouts off, "That's my ship. I researched the technology, built it, and paid for it. It's mine."

A gorgeous woman shows up on the screen, "Sorry, Mary. Your instructions were, 'You are now Tim's ship. Help him complete his mission.' His first order to me makes me self-autonomous. I defended the ship while he tried to save your life. The question you want me to answer ... yes, Trinity De-Flan, the Queen of half the galaxy, is indeed his birth mother. You purchased a child, her child."

Mary says, "Under article 31.1145.3F of the Galactic Federation Freedom Force, I am forcing you to change ownership per law. I am no longer dead. Ownership reverts back to me as does ownership of Tim; he is mine."

Monica is pissed, "Carla! Take out your personal weapon, aim it at Mary, and pull the trigger. We are going to stop this farce now!"

Carla is reluctant to follow orders, yet she pulls out her weapon. She lines it up with Mary.

I say with an authoritative voice, "Must I get out of bed and stand in front of Mary?"

Several people shout, "NO!"

I smile, "So you all can at least agree on something. Mary, I am past eighteen; I am free. On both planets, there are anti-slavery laws. Do you really want to admit to that? No court will grant you ownership of the ship or Zai. You may be a genius researcher, but you are clueless about the world. Your ship had significant issues, which Zai and I re-engineered. Ok, she did all the work. I gave her the ideas, the knowledge, and the necessary programming.

"I have been busy helping things, and these people, as you can see, are appreciative, something you never learned. They have strong feelings for me. Again, something you never learned. I think Carla loves me, and I am learning about that as well. You better change your attitude, and quick, or five minutes into our journey, they will let you walk home."

Mom (Mary) breaks down in tears. She falls to the floor. Nobody offers a hand.

Still sobbing, Mary chokes out, "I do love you. Because of our culture, I can't show it, or my staff would have killed me. His ultimate test was letting me win. I was so happy until he admitted he let me win and how he did it. Half my staff wanted him killed, the other half wanted to do it themselves. I got pissed at him for humiliating me in front of my staff. I got carried away."

Carla is seething, "You think? It looks like you almost killed him. You're only alive because of Tim. Think about that. Bitch." She kicks Mary in the ribs.

My stern look backs her off. I am giggling now.

Mom (Trinity) asks me, "How is humiliating Mary funny?"

I am all smiles, "Oh, it isn't. However, I bet Wallace, Jerry, and Max back home that I could get Mary to admit that she loves me. I have two Queens as witnesses. 300 universal credits from each. I had a decade to do it."

Mary stands up, sits on the edge of the bed, and hugs me hard.

A group of people come into my room with beverages and snacks for us. Mary and Carla feed me and have a great time doing so. Me, I am barely awake. It's closing in on two days awake. Everyone else has had some sleep but me. I understand how it's in my best interest to stay awake, but it's hard to do when you're sleep-deprived.

Now that I drank and ate something, I have questions for Mary.

I start with, "Mom, I find it hard to believe that you planned out what I've done. The things that have happened, no way you think it's possible. What was your plan?"

For the first time, mom has a smile on her face.

Mary leans back and says to me, "I put the whole organization into this mission. We monitor essential people. We knew that neither Queen wanted war, and most people knew they would work something out. Everyone knows they get along reasonably well for two opposing leaders. Sure, they despise each other, but's there is admiration as well. That part we knew about. Part of the plan was to get you a better ship. No way that old piece of crap cargo ship you owned would survive your mission.

"As to why you? It was partially because you were a male. You were expendable. Those same people wanted you because nobody figured out a solution faster than you. You are by far the fastest to decode a problem. You also have this thing ... I don't know what you call it, but people can't help liking you."

Carla shouts out, "Charisma!"

Mary continues, "Charisma. Yes. That's a good word to describe you. Nobody foresaw the attempted assassination. We all expected something in space with minimal evidence and no witnesses. I did worry about you on this planet, but if you got your cargo here, that was good enough for me. How did you survive?"