Chapter 3.2

We left Centaurus not long after my embarrassing laughing fit. To be honest, no one except our daughter mentioned it, I did tell Paula and Carla about the release I felt now, as well as Mara, but beyond that, it seemed to have sparked no real attention. Not that I was aware of, anyway.

We were quite aware of the the limited room we had on board Neo22. I know I said earlier that we could support ten ships worth of people, but that is assuming that we didn’t have a population explosion on board. We couldn’t do that with the possibility of rescuing other people

Thus, we were extremely careful. John and I had three more rooms available in our house, but we hadn’t had anymore kids other than Frieda. It came as a complete surprise when I found I was pregnant again.

I found that I wasn’t as introverted as I had been. I felt like taking notice in my surroundings more. I had started letting Rik take more and more of the responsibilities in the restaurant, as it can take up most of a chef’s time.

It wasn’t long before I found that Frieda was spending more and more time around the restaurant when Rik was there. When I talked to John about it after we had a bit of pleasurable, nocturnal physical training, he gave me a strange look. “You’re just noticing this now?”

I ordered my reading light to turn on and I sat up. I looked at his face, and saw he was completely serious. “How long?” I asked him.

For a moment, he didn’t seem to realize I was serious, then he said, “For several months, she has made sure she’s near the restaurant when Rik was. You honestly didn’t realize?”

I felt very stupid. How many other mothers would have seen that long before their husbands. I lay back down and turned to him. “I’ve been so blind.”

“No you haven’t. So you didn’t see. Who cares? I certainly don’t.”

“It’s not just this, John. I’ve been blind about so many things. For nine hundred years, my attention has been so inward directed.” I felt that the tears were going to well up again and I buried my face in my pillow.

Instead of letting me stay like that, however, John lifted my head and turned my face toward him. “Rose, do you really think that aside from Total Fun, I have not enjoyed the last nine hundred years? In my expert opinion, gained from observing you for our entire lives, I have not seen you as completely inner directed for nine hundred years.”

I giggled and answered, “John, how do I know you aren’t just saying that for some more physical training?”

“My good looks?”

I scowled at him. “Dear,” I said, “there are plenty of handsome men who will say anything to get into a woman’s bed. Try again.”

“Hmmm… My suave style?”

I sighed. “While I won’t argue that you are debonair, I have to say that many men throughout history use that style as a way to impress a woman, generally for sex.”

He seemed to think about it and commented, “I suppose my impressive size is not decent evidence either.”

“Uhhhh…” I lifted up the sheet and looked under it at his manhood. “I’m not going to argue that it’s not impressive. In fact, I believe it would be possible to play baseball or horseshoes with it. Hmmm… I’ll have to remember that for later.” I let the sheet fall slowly down onto his now aroused penis. “Alas, dear husband, I think you’re right. Something that impressive is most definitely not evidence of pure motives.”

He laughed then told me, “I have to say, my dear, your body is not either. I’m afraid that I can’t look at you, as you are now, without having uh... wonderfully inspirational thoughts.”

I sat up and deliberately let the sheet fall away from my breasts. “So how do I know your statement was not inspired by your libido?“

This time his answer was ready immediately. “Because, fair Rose, I love you.”

I couldn’t hold the tears back now. Even though we had been working up to another round, they came.

John sat up and put his arm around me. If he had thought my tears were for any reason other than my joy at being loved by him, he never would have said, “Hey! Come on! I wanted some more PT,” then kissed me.

His mood brought me back and I laughed again. I pushed him down on the bed and straddled him. This round was a lot better than the first.

The next day, I went to the steakhouse to have lunch with Paula and Carla. They must have noticed something in my manner, as Carla smirked at me, then asked, all innocence, “Did you have a good night, Rose?”

What could I say? “Wonderful!” I then turned to Paula before Carla could respond. “What’s the special, Paula?”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Carla said. “You aren’t getting off that easy!”

I kept my face turned to Paula, a big smile on my face, and waited.

“I think Dez has made some of his special meatloaf, and Ray did a jambalaya,” Paula informed me, a grin on her face as well. Neither of us was paying Carla any mind as she made out that she was getting steamed.

“You are not going to ignore me, Rose!”

I finally turned back. “And why not? Are you ever forthcoming with information about your nightly escapades with Marc?”

I had her, and she knew it. She appeared to struggle, but I don’t think she’d ever seen me so clearly thrilled with life. Ultimately, her curiosity won, and she said, “If you tell me, I’ll tell you.”

It seemed like a good deal, so I did.

We were headed toward the Fomalhaut system to find another of the ships. At Atlantis, we had been ‘topped up’ with fuel, so we burnt a bit more to gain more speed than what we had before. It was a long trip, but we settled into routine life.

I had a pair of twins during the voyage. John and I had chosen not to know the sex of them. We really weren’t worried about it. When we gained two more girls, we were both pleased. We named them Pearl and Carrie, after two women that I missed very much.

Near Frieda’s two hundredth birthday, we finally merged onto Fomalhaut IV’s course. Rhoda had figured how far they should have come in the time they had, and we came into their course so we could backtrack on them. We traveled for about ten years, when a ship was detected ahead of us.

John and I entered the command center just before Paula and Winston did. Marc and Carla were already there. Technically, we weren’t necessary at the moment, but all of us had long been placed in the line of command, and Gina liked to keep us informed.

We faced the screen and watched as the ship in front of us got arger.

It was not destroyed as N22 had been. It appeared as though everything was alright with it.

Rhoda had been trying call it on our radio, however. We had not received any reply.

Marc was monitoring the health of our computers while we were trying to contact them. Suddenly, Marc looked at the screen. “You son of a bitch!” he exclaimed. “Break connection, Rhoda!”

There was no argument. Rhoda flipped a switch and then looked at Marc. “What,” she began, but there was no time to say anything more.

“My dear, sweet children. It’s been so long. I’d like to play, but first we must have a conference. I demand to see you in Fredriksburg, in front of the statue of my departed brother.”

We stared at each other. It was Willem’s voice, coming through the speakers.

Finally, Gina spoke. “No!” she said simply.

In response, her eyes glazed and her head fell onto the deck beside her quickly falling body. Rhoda screamed as a new twist to this old practice of Wallace’ occurred. Gina’s body started to smoke until there was only black carbon and clothes on the deck where she had once lain.

I was holding Rhoda as she cried. “How can you do this again?” I screamed at the ship around me.

“I am getting very tired of waiting.”

Marc started toward the door, and the rest of us followed. Rhoda hung on to me. I think she would have stayed in the command center, but she cried out in pain when we left, and hurried to catch up. She seemed alright as we continued to Fredriksburg.

I’m not sure what I expected when we arrived at the statue of Fred. Certainly not what we found. Standing there was Willem Wallace.

“Hello, children,” he said. “I thought I made it plain many millennia ago. I am your master.” He turned to Paula and his eyes burned. He slowly walked around her, taking in her body. “Paula. I will say; this look fits you so much better than what you had the last time we saw each other.”

He stopped in front of her, and the hatred from him was almost something physical. “You caused me so much pain. You let it go on. I understand you told Freddie that it ‘had to be done’. Well, my dear. Here is something else that ‘has to be done.’”

With that, her body began to smoke, just as Gina’s had. It went on much longer, however, and she appeared to be in agony. Marc pulled out a gun and pointed it at Wallace’ head. “Stop!” he yelled at Willem.

Paula dropped to the ground and the smoke stopped pouring out of her body. “That looks somewhat painful,” Wallace commented as he stooped by her side. “I want you to know, I stopped not because of Dodson’s pitiful attempt, but to cause you just as much pain as you caused me before I kill you.”

He backed up, and in a loud voice announced, “I am your master!”

He pointed at Rhoda. “You are to be my wife. Your mother and step father will witness the consummation of our marriage tonight.”

“No!” I shouted, but it was for naught. I suddenly wanted nothing more than to please this man! I wanted to be one of his maidens. “Please, Willem,” I said, “let me be your slave. I want to serve you. I want to give you whatever you wish.”

“Very good, my Rose, but you see; I’m a one woman man now, and I will have Rhoda. Since you want to serve me, you will stay with your husband, dress in a way that shows off your body. Make him long for you, and deny him any attempt to have you.”

I walked over to John and stood by him, still making eyes at Willem. I loved him! How could anyone not? I knelt down and bowed my head before him. “Whatever you wish, my Master.”

“Wonderful, Rose,” he praised me. I beamed back at him, thrilled to be able to serve him.

John and I were ordered back to our house. Once there, John tried to hug me, telling me we’d get through this, but I slapped his face, hard! I didn’t feel any desire to ‘get through this’! I wanted only to serve Willem!

I went into the bedroom and changed into very sensual lingerie, designed to flaunt my body to John, but he would be denied; just as I had been told to do by my loving master.

I came out and sat on a chair positioned where John could see everything I did. I started masturbating in front of him. Carrie came into the living room, wondering what all the noise was about. She saw me dressed as I was, fingering my breasts and clitoris, and John with his face held in his hands, crying.

“Mom?” she asked, bewildered. “Dad?”

John looked up at her, tears streaming down his face. “She’s under control of Wallace. Somehow, he’s on the ship.” He didn’t say it that way. His speech was filled with sobs.

Suddenly, I no longer felt in love with Wallace. I collapsed on the floor, and I felt my love for John come back. I heard Wallace’ voice echo in my head. “Do not defy me again, or I will pull you back into my service forever.”

I hugged John as tight as I could when he reached for me. Then I cried.