by Ben Winston
“I don’t remember that, why didn’t you tell me?” Chloe asked.
“It was before your time, and it’s not like it’s the type of thing that comes up in casual conversation,” John said. “You never told me you hacked the intel dbase, it’s kinda like that.”
She nodded. “I guess you’re right, even after all this time, there are still things we don’t know about each other.”
“Eternity together would be boring if we did,” John said.
“You think we’re going to be together for eternity?” Chloe asked since they were alone on the bridge.
“Maybe, I don’t really know. I know I’m not unhappy or tired with living like Will is. If something happened to you or Mary, I might think about it, I just don’t know. I won’t until the time comes,” John replied.
“Still living on the ‘one-day-at-a-time’ clock, huh?” Chloe asked, smiling.
“Not really, maybe one year at a time, or maybe one lifetime at a time would be more accurate,” John said.
“We’ve never let ourselves fall in love with one of them before. Considering how short their lives are, do you think that’s wise?” Chloe asked. John knew she was referring to unenhanced humans in general, and Mary in particular.
“Well, I didn’t plan on it, that’s for sure. Honestly, I don’t understand how it happened either. I mean, we’ve known each other for less than a week. You’ve known her for even less time, do you understand how it happened? For that matter, she’s a female. In all the time we’ve been together, you’ve never even hinted that you like other girls,” John said.
“I don’t like other women, but there is something about Mary that just draws me to her. It’s not sexual, it’s more emotional. I know we can never be together sexually, and I’m fine with that, since that’s not what I’m attracted to with her. But calling her a best friend is not strong enough to cover this feeling I get being around her,” Chloe said.
“So... you’re not sexually attracted to her, but you consider her your girlfriend?” John asked.
“No, I’m not sexually attracted to her, I’m emotionally attracted to her. Confusing?” Chloe asked.
“No, not from you it isn’t. Maybe I should say, not to us, since I’m pretty much the same way. I do have a sexual attraction to her, but that’s just not it with her,” John shook his head. “I guess you explained it the best.”
“So, since we both have these feelings for her, what are we going to do about them?” Chloe asked.
“Love her for as long as she’s with us. Time doesn’t work the same way for them as it does for us. She could very well outgrow us, and decide to move on. We both know our time with her is limited, I plan to enjoy it as much as I can, while I can,” John said.
Chloe secured the bridge, locking the hatch to the rest of the ship. “John, Mark asked Gloria and her parents to go to Centauri so Mark could speak to her parents about courting Gloria. “I thought he was going to tell you about it the other night when we talked to him.”
John just sat there thinking about what she had just told him. “It did seem like he was asking some pretty pointed questions about us, and how we feel about Mary. But that’s all I thought it was, he just wanted to know more about our relationship with her.”
“Nope, he was trying to learn as much as he could because he wants to marry Gloria. Now, nothing was said about making her Queen, or even a Princess, so I don’t think he’s talked to anyone else in the government about this.”
John shook his head. “He can’t give her a title. It wouldn’t be acknowledged unless they could produce an heir, and they can’t.”
“Unless Mark has viable sperm cells left,” Chloe said.
John shook his head. “No, he doesn’t. Not after all this time. Even in cryo they degrade. Mine only lasted about three hundred years. Mark’s been enhanced far longer than that.”
“Well, it was a thought. I wonder if when his seed was used; does that make his offspring royalty?” Chloe said wondering out loud.
Further conversation was interrupted by the Flyer’s computer beeping urgently.
“What I told you about Mark is classified, John. Please don’t let him know I told you,” Chloe said as she unsealed the bridge. “The Tammerain fleet has crossed the border and is spreading out. They are either splitting up to maximize their scanners or they are preparing to jump.”
“Make contact with the Gladiator and ask her to stand by. Then pick four of the smaller ships, spread them out through the fleet. Try to give me an estimate of missile flight time,” John said as he began typing on his own console.
“Missile flight time will be one hundred and five seconds, just over a minute and a half. Gladiator is online and standing by. The Admiral wants me to tell you she has a limited number of those missiles, so we’re not to get too cocky,” Chloe replied.
John nodded, and held his finger up to his lips. He then spoke out loud, in the most common tongue of the Tammerain.
“I am Major John Jacob Aster of the Royal Temporal Guard. With respect, I would share words with the Force Leader. Now.”
“That did it, they appear to be holding position. Computer confirms they are inside the line, and we can fire on them,” Chloe staged whispered.
John muted the channel. “Good, just hold off for now, I’ll point at you when I want them to launch, until then, send me text messages. Depending on the race, just your presence on the bridge would be an insult to them.”
Chloe nodded, remembering John’s briefing about how some of the Tammerain viewed females. He unmuted the channel, and waited. Just as he was about to repeat the hail, he got a response.
“Temporal Guard Aster, it would seem news of your passage was premature.” An image of a large hair covered being took form on the monitor directly in front of him.
John bowed his head in acknowledgement. “As it would for you, Clan Leader Al-Jehereed. I am pleased to see it was incorrect. We request knowledge of your business here, as well as your intentions.”
“We have a new Jal-Haraad, and she has spoken of you and your people,” the being replied. “I am allowed to give you this information in the hopes you will pay heed.”
‘Jal-Haraad’ was the title of the leader of the Tammerain. It meant, literally, mouth of the divine.
John nodded. “I cannot speak to that until we have the knowledge, Clan Leader. I am certain you know this.”
“I do,” Jehereed agreed. “Your people are short lived and prolific. However, the Goddess has decided that you have learned how to better administer to her universe. Therefore, we are no longer required to make war on your people.”
“That is indeed good news, Clan Leader. Too many have passed the gates over this issue already. In this we can agree,” John said solicitously.
“Yes, this is indeed glad news. However, there is more. Your people have split your race into two without the Goddess to guide you. As a result, one of the races cannot be allowed to continue since she has need for them in the next world. We knew you would resist this, so we are coming to assist you in this holy purge.” Jehereed said.
John looked confused. “Forgive me, Clan Leader, but I do not understand what you mean. There has been no splitting of the race, we are all still one people.”
“The Jal-Haraad is wise, she knew you would not see it that way. You have created a new race of longer-lived beings whose sole purpose is to make war, and destroy. As you must know, such a race is abhorrent to her. We are here to assist you in the destruction of all of you that were not naturally created. Once that goal is accomplished, we will withdraw and leave you in peace.”
“You mean you are going to war with us again in order to destroy those that were created to prevent that?” John asked.
Jehereed shook his head. “No, you misunderstand her words. We are no longer to make war on humans as they are now our brothers and as such are part of the universal clan. Our task is to ensure the freedom of your people from the tyranny of your ‘enhanced�
� soldiers and the facility and people that created them.”
John made himself look like he finally understood. “Forgive me, Clan Leader, I did misunderstand. I was under the impression that you were saying we actually had two separate races of humans. I can assure you that is not the case. I will admit that there are a few humans that choose to undergo alterations in order to protect the rest of our people, but that is only a temporary alteration. Once they have served a set amount of time, they are returned to their original condition.”
“Major Aster,” Jehereed said in perfect English. “What is your set amount of time? Our histories all have stories of you going back to the first war with your people. In fact, the very position you know hold is because you are still altered. That is what we are here to correct; that is the will of the Goddess.”
“So you are here to murder those of us that can no longer be unaltered?” John asked.
“That is only part of it, Major. We must also remove your current leader since he too is not a natural human. Your people are not free to control their own destiny as long as any of you are in power. You are no longer a tool for the protection of your people, but their oppressors.” Jehereed said. “Simply put Major, we are here to kill you.”
About the Author
Ben Winston (1965 - ?) was born in Iowa and grew up in Minnesota on the family dairy farm. Upon reaching adulthood, he joined the United States Army as a communications technician. Before getting out of the military, he decided to go to school for computer electronics.
Shortly after getting out of the military, and after getting a new job with an over-seas company, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. A month after beginning the new job, he was laid off due to budget over-runs on the project he was hired for. Upon returning to the United States, he had difficulty maintaining employment because of the chronic illness.
He began writing as a form of stress release, from being home bound and not being able to work, and found he liked writing erotica. Ben wrote a trilogy called the Talosian Chronicles (Currently in rewrite to remove the graphic sex and finalized his vision of the story). The first book, Star Dancer, won awards and was nominated for many others by the online communities where it was posted.
Ben Winston returned to school for literature, after completion, he began writing professionally. Being an avid fan of science fiction he focused on this genre. He was, and still is, influenced and inspired by Gene Roddenberry, Anne McCaffery, David Weber, Isaac Asimov, and Ray Bradbury. Some of his favorite movies and TV shows are; Battlestar Galactica (both versions), Andromeda, Star Trek, Firefly, Star Wars, and many of the B-rated movies that were actually box-office bombs.
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Books Published by Blue Space Publications, LLC.
by Ben Winston
Pollux Paradox
Tides of Mars
Tides of Mars (Omnibus)
Ascension – Book I
Conflict – Book II
Talosian Chronicles
Olympus – Book I
Star Dancer – Book II
Talosian Alliance – Book III
*Neptune’s Massif – Book IV (Upcoming)
Book of the Guardian
Home – Part One
Pest Control – Part Two
*The Last Mission – Part Three (Upcoming)
Series
Temple of S.A.R.A.H.
Prototype – Episode I
Subroutines – Episode II
Base Functions – Episode III
*Hard Wired – Episode IV (Upcoming)
by Michael McClain
Chronicles of Atlantis Series
Chronicles of Atlantis (Omnibus)
Atlantis Rising – Book I
Euthara – Book II
