Generations of Teelan Box Set

by G. E. Stills

  “Welcome back, Gina,” Grant’s soothing voice poured through her mind. “I checked your vitals, you’re going to live.”

  “I don’t feel like I’m going to live. I feel like I’ve been worked over big time. I don’t think there is a muscle in me that isn’t sore.”

  “I tried to warn you.”

  “And I ignored you. That monster was going to eat Joren. What about him?”

  Before Grant could answer, Joren’s worried voice assaulted her ears. “Gina, Gina honey, open your eyes. Please, my love, open your eyes.”

  Using all the effort she could muster, she complied with his wish. The first thing she saw was the expression of deep concern on his face as he knelt beside her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked in a weak whisper.

  “I’m fine. I’m not concerned about me. I’m worried about you. I love you.”

  More effort. She smiled. “Are we safe? Where are we?”

  “In our cave. I carried you here.”

  “I don’t remember that. How long have I been out?”

  “Two days. I’ve been worried sick.”

  “Two days! I’ve been out for two days?”

  “Yes. I’ve been going out of my mind. You were burning up with…I don’t know, fever is the only way I can describe it. I’ve been applying cold compresses to you hourly.”

  “You’ve been doing that hourly? For two days?”

  “Yes. I tried to get some water down your throat, but I don’t know how successful I was at that.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’m just weak is all. In fact I’m feeling much stronger already.” Her throat was parched. “I’m terribly thirsty. Could I have a drink of water?”

  He vanished to reappear seconds later with a wooden cup of water. Lifting her head, he held it to her lips. She took small sips at first and then bigger drinks quenching her terrible thirst. Her stomach growled.

  “I think I’m a little hungry too. Is there anything to eat?”

  “Let me get you something.”

  She rolled to her side and propped herself up on an elbow. “If you’ll help me I’d like to go sit by the fire.”

  She yelped in surprise when he leaned down and scooped her into his arms. He carried her to the fire and set her down. Next, he tore off a chunk of meat that was roasting and handed it to her.

  “Gee, I could get used to this type of treatment.” She grinned. “Come’ ear.” She held her arms out in supplication. When he leaned down, she wrapped them around his neck and kissed him briefly. “Just so you know,” she whispered nearly breathless. “I love you.”

  “You don’t have to say that. I’ll love you whether you love me back or not. “

  “I love you and I have for a long time. I was afraid to admit it, even to myself.”

  She watched his eyes begin to fill and glisten with tears. He looked away and scrubbed them with one hand. “You have a lot of explaining to do, little one. Fire from your fingers? How long have you known this…this magic?”

  “Not magic, Joren, an ability. I’ve had it since birth. And before you ask, I didn’t tell you before, not because I’m ashamed of it, or didn’t want you to know. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you would think I was a freak. That you would be afraid of me or stop caring for me.” Now the tears formed in her eyes.

  Joren sat beside her and pulled her into his arms. “You saved my life, Gina, and I thank you for doing that. Afraid of you? Never. Care less for you? Not a chance. I don’t care what abilities, magic whatever you have, I love you and always will.”

  He kissed her passionately. Tongue twisting deep, stealing all thoughts from her except the wonderful feeling of being loved by him.

  He broke the kiss leaving her gasping for breath. “And now my love you need to eat. You need to regain your strength.” He broke off a chunk of meat and placed it to her lips. Morsel by morsel he fed her until she couldn’t eat any more.

  “Enough. You’re going to turn me into a fat pig like the one I’m eating.” She giggled.

  “I’ll love you even if you get so fat you can’t waddle into this cave.”

  She lay awake that night. Joren was in his corner sleeping, she assumed. “Joren,” she called out softly in the darkness. “Are you awake?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  “Will you do something for me?”

  “Anything.”

  “Come over here and make love to me.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Gina wakened to the feel of naked skin pressed to hers. She was spooned tight to Joren’s back. She could feel his deep breathing of slumber.

  “Gina,” Grant said.

  “I’m awake.”

  “I intercepted a signal. Our people are out there looking for us.”

  Wide awake now, she sat up abruptly.

  Joren mumbled in his sleep then slumbered on.

  “Grant can you contact them.”

  “I sent out a signal, but I won’t know for several hours if they got it.”

  Throwing the cover back, she danced toward the fire heedless of the fact she was not wearing a stitch of clothing. She skewered steaks and placed them over the fire, then she put water on to boil. She mixed up some beans to form the make shift coffee they were using. She took out two plates and filled them with fruit and nuts.

  “My, my, aren’t you ambitious today,” Joren said from behind her.

  Turning she saw that he was naked too. Rising, she hurled herself into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. She gave him a kiss and then just clung there.

  “Gina,” Grant said. “They’ve received my signal. They have turned toward this planet.”

  “Oh God!” she exclaimed. “Joren, my people are coming. They’re in this system and they’re coming.”

  “And how would you know that, little one?”

  It didn’t bother her any more being called little one. She knew it had become a term of endearment.

  “Grant told me. He’s contacted them.”

  Joren stiffened against her. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to the fact you have a man inside you. I don’t know if I’ll ever like it.”

  “I share you with him. He can learn to do the same. Tell him, tough, I’m here to stay. Piss him off. Tell him I love him too.”

  “I will not tell him that. You behave, Grant.”

  “Grant is not a man. He’s my AI. Remember what you said long ago? You would accept all of me no matter what?”

  Joren grumbled.

  “I love you completely.” She covered his face with kisses. His eyelids, the bridge and tip of his nose, both cheeks and his chin before pressing her lips to his for a deep lusty kiss.

  The water on the fire began to boil and the steaks sizzled. She let her feet slide to the floor. Stooping over, she placed the steaks on the plates to join the fruits and nuts. Joren poured two cups and stirred the coffee mixture.

  “How soon are they going to be here?” he asked.

  “I don’t know for certain. Hours I’m sure, they’re at the outer part of this solar system.”

  “Hours?” he asked incredulously. “Not months? Not weeks?”

  “Hours, my handsome hunk. You’re going to be amazed at the ship my people arrive in, I’m certain.”

  “Then you better get dressed, little one.”

  She smiled and preened. “I thought you liked me this way. All nekked.”

  “Oh I do.” His gaze roamed over her appreciatively. “I do, I just don’t wish to share this sight with others. I don’t want you on display.”

  “Don’t worry, Joren. I’ll get dressed and so will you…right after we eat breakfast and make love.”

  ****

  “Grant has given them the coordinates, the shuttle will be landing in an hour, hurry up.” She paced imp
atiently waiting for him. He was hastily tying on his belt.

  “It’s not my fault you wanted to make love one more time. Blame it on your sexy self.” He groused and then smiled in remembrance.

  Taking him by the hand, she almost dragged him to the meadow. Holding her hand over her eyes, she scanned the sky above. “There,” she pointed to a small shiny speck. It grew larger rapidly.

  “Rockets. We need to get under cover,” he said.

  “No need, silly. We use rockets, but only on small craft. Like my life pod for instance. I’m certain this one will be much larger and will be using antigravity.”

  His jaw dropped when the craft came to a halt in midair above them. It was at least five times as large as the one he had crash landed. It settled to the ground and extended a ramp. A man came down and halted before them.

  “Lieutenant Commander Mitchell?” He saluted. “Ensign Smith, reporting as ordered to escort you to the flagship Sacramento.”

  “At ease, Ensign. The Sacramento is here?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Ensign, this is Captain Joren. He’ll be joining us.”

  “Captain.” The ensign saluted. “By your leave, ma’am, sir. The admiral is waiting.”

  They followed him up the ramp and strapped into comfortable seats. The ensign went to a separate compartment in front. Joren glanced around the craft’s interior in amazement. There was no sound, no feeling of movement at all. The only way he knew they had left the ground was looking at the monitor screen that dropped down in front of them. In minutes the blackness of space surrounded them.

  “Who are you? That man was very polite to you.”

  She chuckled. “I’m Lieutenant Commander Mitchell and the woman who loves you.” She explained the equivalent military rank of his race.

  “How the heck can you be that high ranking when you can’t be more than early twenties?”

  “Why thank you, my dear. Early twenties indeed.”

  “I’ve never asked you how old you were. It didn’t matter to me, but now…well, it still doesn’t matter, but I’m curious.”

  “Because the LC is smart, damn good at her job and it doesn’t hurt that she is the daughter of one of the old ladies,” the ensign supplied with a smile when he joined them. “With all due respect, ma’am. I didn’t think you’d brag about yourself and tell him, so I did. I’m to relay to you that the admiral wants to see you on the bridge as soon as we land. We’ll be there shortly.” Spinning around smartly, he left the cabin to rejoin the pilot.

  Glancing at her, Joren saw that Gina was blushing. “He calls your mother an old lady? Hardly respectful to my way of thinking.”

  “You’re wrong, my love. He says that with the deepest respect. You have a lot to learn about me and my people. Things that didn’t matter on Standish, but do now.”

  “I’m learning a lot already. This shuttle is huge compared to my ship. It must be at least five time as large.”

  She smiled. “You haven’t seen anything yet. Ah yes. Look at the monitor not at me, hon.”

  He followed her request and his jaw dropped in awe. He was certain his eyes were deceiving him.

  “That, my dear, is the Sacramento.”

  “Shit! That ship must be a kilometer in length.”

  “A little over, actually. I hadn’t expected it to be here.” She pressed a button and the view decreased in magnification showing a larger area. “Now that, I certainly wasn’t expecting. Something must be about to happen to have an entire fleet assembled.”

  He gaped. The Sacramento was only one ship among many. There were five more her size, two that were larger and at least twenty smaller ships.

  “Final approach,” the ensign announced over a speaker.

  The monitor slid back up into the ceiling. A few minutes later the hatch on the side opened and the ramp extended. She led him down the ramp and into the most cavernous landing bay he had ever seen. There were more space craft assembled here than his planet possessed.

  Crossing the spacious bay, she led him through an open access into a tunnel that appeared to run the length of the ship. “This is the transport tube,” she explained. They stepped off a boarding ramp and sat in an open train car like vehicle that had ten seats.

  “Destination please,” a computer voice droned from the panel in front of them.

  “Command Bridge express one,” she stated.

  “Express priority authorization please,” the computer requested.

  She reached forward and pressed a series of buttons on a number key pad in front of her.

  “Welcome, Commander Mitchell. Command accepted. Passenger in seat number two not secured,” the computer voice said.

  Gina reached over and fastened the lap belt on him. “I forgot to inform you. The car won’t start unless all passengers are secured. I don’t think there has ever been a collision. It’s just a precaution.”

  With his belt fastened, the car slid to another track and then flashed into motion. The vehicle moved so fast through the tube the other cars they met were a blur. The passengers waiting to board on the many loading platforms, streaked by. Even though he could determine by the distortion of objects and people, the, to him, insane speed they were moving at, he could not feel any motion whatsoever. Minutes later the car came to a halt imparting no inertia when it stopped.

  Leaving the car, they stepped through a door that slid open before them and entered the spacious bridge. He gazed around speechless. There had to be a hundred people at consoles spread through the room and all hard at work.

  At the front of the room was a huge window that revealed the vastness of space. The woman standing in front of it was dwarfed by its size. When their arrival was announced, she turned to face them.

  From the side of her mouth, Gina whispered, “Time to meet the Admiral, dear.”

  “And I’m hardly dressed for the occasion,” he whispered back. “Dressed in a loincloth.”

  “Nor am I, but Lucinda won’t say anything.”

  “You’re on first name basis with the Admiral?” he asked in amazement.

  “She and I have known each other since I was a small child. She’s a good friend to my mother and father. When I address her, it will be in a formal manner though. Protocol and all.”

  As they conversed in whispers, they crossed the floor and came to a halt in front of the Admiral. Gina came to attention and saluted. “Lieutenant Commander Mitchell, reporting as ordered, ma’am.”

  The woman returned the salute. “At ease, Commander.”

  Though the Admiral appraised their state of undress, she said nothing. “Welcome back,” she said. Her gaze shifted to him. “And this would be?”

  “Captain Joren from the planet Ormel and the race called Mistia.”

  “Welcome, Captain Joren. My pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

  “The pleasure is mine,” he answered formally.

  The admiral turned once more to Gina. “The discovery of a new populated planet has altered our plans. If you will step over to that console,” she indicated a vacant seat, “you will be debriefed.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Gina stepped away, took a seat and fitted her eyes to some type of scanner.

  “So I’m informed that you have not encountered the Men-gar, Captain. You’ve been lucky. Now that we know of your existence, we’ll protect your people from them, if you allow.”

  “I agree, we’ve been lucky and although I’m not exactly a representative for my people, I’m sure we’ll welcome your protection.”

  “We will of course start formal negotiations in a short time, but for now I intend to assign some of my ships to stand guard in this system, clandestinely of course.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  Gina rejoined them. “I’ve downloaded all the information Grant has to the computer. It’s not much,
but I hope it helps.”

  “Thank you, Commander.” The Admiral glanced in back of them. “Ah, she has arrived. Lieutenant Mitchell will be your guide while you’re aboard this ship and bring you up to speed as to what is happening. I’m certain you’re curious.” She smiled. “Lieutenant Mitchell,” the Admiral said when the woman came to a halt beside them and came to attention. “These two are your assignment for now. All your other duties have been suspended.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the new woman said.

  “That is all.” Turning the Admiral strolled away.

  Gina turned to the new woman. “Lieutenant, we need a change of clothes first. Have we been assigned quarters?”

  Did he detect a faint smile on the new woman’s lips and recognition in Gina’s eyes?

  “Yes, Commander, if you will both follow me.”

  They boarded the transport car and the woman punched in numbers. This trip, although rapid, was leisurely compared to the initial one. While they traveled, he studied their lieutenant guide. Her ebony skin was lighter than the black and silver jumpsuit she wore. The jumpsuits were apparently a type of uniform. Her platinum-blonde hair was secured into a tight bun. Her green eyes were nearly identical to Gina’s. Her facial features were so fine they appeared to be almost sculpted. The lieutenant was a little taller than Gina.

  Is it a coincidence they share the same last name?

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Leaving the transport, the three of them proceeded down a long hall with many doors opening from each side. The lieutenant stopped in front of one of the doors. “This will be your room, Commander. If you’ll place your palm against it I’ll code it to you.”

  Gina placed the flat of her hand against the center of the door and the woman entered numbers on a touch pad mounted in the door jamb. It slid open and the lights inside came on.

  “Captain Joren, your room is next door and I’ll show you there in a moment. First let’s step inside here and I’ll acquaint both of you with the room’s amenities.”

  He followed Gina in and the woman brought up the rear. She closed the door and Gina turned. “Formality is over.” She spread her arms and the lieutenant flew into embrace.