by L. M. Brown
The journey to the spaceport and back wasn’t long, but even a single day would be too much for Kit.
He couldn’t stay with Logan alone because he needed to feed from Halor to nourish the babies, and he couldn’t leave Logan while he was carrying his children because his instincts cried out for him to stay near.
Captain Farraday shook his head. “I need you to stay on the Jupiter. We’re still coming to grips with the information from Halor’s database. Your input is essential if we’re going to rescue the rest of your crew.”
Logan nodded and requested permission to leave the flight deck to get a report from Halor. He had to speak to Halor, and more importantly Kit, immediately.
He ran into Darcy on the way to the ship dock and, without a word, dragged her along with him to Halor’s craft.
He found Halor and Kit in bed. Halor was awake while Kit was snoring loudly.
“What is it?” Halor asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Captain Farraday wants you to leave and get the translation devices as soon as possible.”
Halor frowned. “We were expecting that anyway. What aren’t you saying?”
“I’ve been ordered to stay here.”
“But you can’t,” Halor said, his voice rising enough to wake Kit.
Kit licked his lips and was halfway to Halor’s cock before Logan realised what he was doing. “Kit, you’ll remember my sister?”
Darcy blushed scarlet and Kit halted his progression and sat up, mumbling apologies.
Logan explained again, for Kit’s benefit, what Captain Farraday had said.
“We could just leave now. All of us. It’s not like they could stop us,” Kit said.
“No,” Halor argued. “It would get Logan into trouble when we return, and we have to come back if his people are going to be found.”
“I don’t care about getting into trouble,” Logan said.
Darcy shook her head. “Why don’t you tell the captain why you need to go with them? If you told the captain the truth, I’m sure he’d understand.”
“You don’t know that, and it’s not my choice to make. It’s Kit’s.”
Kit took Logan’s hand and squeezed it tight. “I need you with me. I can’t be apart from you while I’m carrying your babies. I just can’t. Would the captain tell anyone if you asked him not to?”
“I don’t know,” Logan admitted. “I doubt my captain would betray such a confidence, but I don’t know Captain Farraday that well.”
“I believe he would be discreet,” Darcy said. “If he had to tell anyone, it would only be those he deemed absolutely necessary.”
“It’s your choice, Kit,” Halor said. “If you want the captain to reconsider his decision, he will have to be told.”
Kit placed his free hand over his stomach and nodded slowly. “I know nothing of giving birth, other than what I’ve read on the data banks. I need both you and Logan with me, and I would rather have someone with medical knowledge on board, as well, if Darcy would agree to come with us.”
“Of course I would,” Darcy hurriedly assured him after Logan had translated for Kit.
“Okay,” Logan turned them around. “Let’s go speak privately with the captain.”
* * * *
Logan knocked on the door to the captain’s office, his sister and lovers right behind him.
“Come in!”
Logan entered with the others following at his heels.
“What is it?” Captain Farraday asked. “Is there a problem?”
“May I speak with you in confidence?” Logan asked.
The captain nodded “What is it?”
Logan drew in a deep breath before he spoke. “I would ask you to reconsider allowing me and Darcy to go with Halor and Kit.”
“McRae,” Farraday began, but Logan raised his hand to stop his protest.
“Sir, there’s another reason I need to go and why we would also like Darcy, as a medic, to join us.” Logan nudged Kit to step forward. “Kit may require medical assistance at some point on our journey.”
“What sort of medical assistance?”
Logan glanced at Kit, who gave a small nod of encouragement. “Kit is pregnant,” Logan said.
“What did you say?” Captain Farraday stared at them as though he couldn’t believe his ears. Logan didn’t blame him in the least.
“Kit is nine weeks pregnant,” Logan replied. “While he’s unlikely to go into labour on the journey to the spaceport, we can’t say exactly when he’s expected to give birth, due to the unprecedented circumstances.”
The captain stared at them for several minutes and Kit squirmed and inched closer to Logan. “Unprecedented how? Because he’s male?”
Logan put his arm around Kit’s shoulders. “Although it’s unusual for the males of Kit’s species to bear the children, I understand that it isn’t unheard of. However, Kit is the first to carry feline-human hybrids.”
Captain Farraday didn’t need Logan to clarify what he meant. “Then you’re the father.”
“Yes, sir. And that’s why I would wish to go with him. He needs me near him right now.”
“And Darcy, because she’s a medic?”
“Yes, sir.”
“If he’s only nine weeks along, he’s hardly likely to go into labour, unless feline pregnancies are considerably shorter than human ones.”
“Felines generally carry for six months,” Logan confirmed.
Darcy stepped forward. “If I may add something, sir?”
“Go ahead.”
“I’ve been monitoring Kit’s pregnancy and conducted a holo-scan earlier today. While Kit is only nine weeks pregnant, the babies he carries are far more developed than a human female’s would be at this stage. He would appear to be more in the region of four months along. While I agree that it’s unlikely he’ll go into labour on the journey to the spaceport, I would like to keep a close eye on him, just in case.”
Captain Farraday turned back to Logan. “Why didn’t you tell me all this back on the flight deck?”
“While male pregnancies are not unheard of for felines like Kit, they are unusual. Kit would prefer it not to be general knowledge. I would also prefer to keep my relationship with Kit and Halor quiet. I don’t believe everyone on board these vessels would understand.”
Farraday remained quiet for a long time, and with each minute that passed, Kit moved a little bit closer to Logan.
“Captain, sir?” Logan finally asked. “Can you grant our request?”
“Oh yes, I believe that would be sensible,” Captain Farraday replied, in a tone that said that he had forgotten they were all standing there waiting for an answer. He reached into the drawer and pulled out his tablet computer, tapping the screen with rapid moves. “Ah, yes, here we are.”
“What is it, sir?” Logan asked.
“Doctor Marshall’s report following the blood tests,” Captain Farraday replied. “She has a note here that indicates that Kit’s sample contains human chorionic gonadotropin.”
“What’s that?” Logan asked.
The captain smiled. “It’s the pregnancy hormone. When our women have blood tests to determine whether they are pregnant or not, this is what our medics look for.”
“Then Doctor Marshall knows Kit’s pregnant? Why hasn’t she said anything?”
Captain Farraday shrugged. “You’d have to ask her that, though I have my suspicions. In the meantime, you all have a journey to make.”
Kit purred happily and Logan kissed the top of his head. The gesture seemed to startle Captain Farraday. Logan suspected he should probably put a little distance between himself and Kit, but since their relationship was no longer a secret from the captain, he didn’t see the point.
“You do realise that all secrets of this nature come out sooner or later?” Farraday asked. “Unless feline pregnancies are vastly different to human ones, even the most unobservant will notice eventually.”
“We know it can’t be hidden forever,” Logan said.
“But this is very new to Kit and to me, and until Kit is comfortable telling people, we’d rather keep things quiet.”
“A baby isn’t generally something that can be kept quiet,” Farraday pointed out. “Or, did you say babies?”
“Yes,” Darcy confirmed. “He’s carrying twins. May I have your permission take a portable scanner with me and an emergency med-kit equipped for the birth, just in case?”
“Of course, take what you need,” Captain Farraday insisted. “Though if you can replenish any of the kit when you’re stocking up on other supplies, please do so.”
“I’ll go pack now,” Darcy said.
“No, go to the cryo-bay first and rouse another junior medic to take your place.”
“Yes, sir,” Darcy replied before disappearing out the door.
Halor moved to leave, too. “We should get back to preparing for departure.”
“Go ahead,” Logan said. “Take Kit with you and I’ll follow you in a few minutes.”
When the room was empty, save for himself and the captain, Logan waited for the captain to speak. He could tell his superior officer hadn’t finished with him yet.
“Take a seat,” Farraday said.
Logan sat down with a sigh of relief. He hadn’t realised how shaky he was feeling until he took the weight off his feet.
“When we left Earth, we knew that we could only bring so many people. The human race is on the brink of extinction and it was envisaged by some of us that the only way to survive would be to make contact with other humanoid races and hope we might be compatible.”
“I wasn’t aware of that,” Logan said.
“It isn’t part of the official briefing, largely because we had no definitive proof that there were even humanoid lifeforms out here. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that not all of the senior crew members were open to this idea.”
Logan didn’t need to be told that Captain Collins was against it.
“I realise that you might not want your relationship with Kit—and Halor, as well, I presume?—to be common knowledge, but I must record in the official logs what you’ve said to me. It may be essential information in the future. I would also like to bring Doctor Marshall and Doctor Fredericks into the loop here. All senior medics were hired because of their expertise in not only emergency situations but also in their knowledge of genetics. Until now, we had no way of knowing if we would even have been compatible with other species. They need to know that we are, if the human race is going to survive.”
Logan nodded. “I understand.”
“My First Officer has full access to the logs. I will speak to him, as well as the two head medics, and ensure they all use discretion. As I said, though, it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out. I suggest you and the others use the time on your journey to decide how you are going to handle this.”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Farraday tapped his fingers on the desk. “You never intended to travel with us to New Earth, did you?”
“No, sir. My place is with Kit, Halor, and our children. I’ll do my part in the rescuing of the rest of my crew, but once that is done, I don’t intend to go back into stasis with the rest of you.”
“If we go into stasis,” Captain Farraday amended. “I believe settling on a world with allies and support would be beneficial to our race. Only time will tell whether that will be the fate of our people, but if it is, I hope you will consider staying with us.”
“Yes, sir.”
“It may be we have no choice. There aren’t enough cryogenic pods for the entire crew and passengers of the Mercury and we aren’t leaving anyone behind if we can help it. Well, not unless they, like you, would rather stay here, if we choose to continue our journey to New Earth. Now, one more thing before you leave. I realise that you now have divided loyalties, but I would remind you that in the absence of your own captain, I am your superior officer, and I expect my orders to be obeyed.”
“Of course, sir.”
“It’s just a reminder,” Captain Farraday said. “We are heading into unfamiliar territory in several different ways and I hope that you will remain on board for as long as you can, to help us all navigate this course.”
Captain Farraday waved Logan towards the door. “You’re dismissed.”
Logan jumped to his feet, eager to catch up with his lovers. He got as far as the door when the captain’s voice stopped him.
“Oh, and Logan?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Congratulations.”
Logan grinned. “Thank you.”
Chapter Eleven
Logan couldn’t let Darcy come with them on their journey without giving her fair warning of a couple of things that she wouldn’t be able to avoid. He didn’t know how she was going to take what he had to tell her, but he decided to go with what he considered the worst of the upcoming surprises first.
“Darcy, there’s one or two things we need to talk about before we leave,” Logan said.
Halor was sitting in the pilot’s seat, checking the panels. Kit was in bed, sleeping after a somewhat restless night. Logan sat in the co-pilot’s chair and gestured for Darcy to sit in one of the passenger chairs.
“What is it?” Darcy asked. “Is something wrong?”
“No, I just want to talk to you about a couple of things before we leave.”
“Like what?”
“Well, first of all, Zyp, the guy we’re going to buy the translator devices from? Well, he’s what Halor tells me is an Insectoid.”
“Why does that sound like a big bug?” Darcy asked, her face paling slightly.
“Because he is,” Logan said. “Kind of a like a giant grasshopper with these antennas and a green tinge to his skin.”
“You’re joking, right?”
Logan shook his head. “He took me by surprise and I want you to be prepared. He isn’t dangerous—or no more so than I guess humans are—but I know how you are about bugs and stuff.”
“Can I see a picture before we get there?” Darcy asked. “Just so I’m prepared.”
Logan turned to Halor. “Have you got one in the database?”
Halor’s hands flew over the panel and a minute later a large holographic representation of an Insectoid appeared above the control panel.
Darcy gave a small scream. “Isn’t there anyone else we can get these translator things from?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Halor replied, shaking his head as well, for the benefit of Darcy.
“Sorry, Sis, but maybe you’ll get over your fear of bugs by meeting him.”
Darcy gave a determined nod. “Okay, you’ve warned me. I guess I should say thanks, but I’ll hold back on that until I know I’m not going to have nightmares all the way there.”
Logan asked Halor to shut down the hologram and turned back to his sister. “There’s something else you need to know, too.”
“Something worse than the giant bug man?” Darcy stared at him in horror. He had no idea what was going through her mind, but knowing his sister, it could be anything at all.
“No, nothing like that,” Logan assured her. “It’s just that the four of us are going to be living in pretty close quarters on this ship for the duration of the journey.”
Darcy rolled her eyes and smiled. “I already figured out the three of you are planning on sharing the largest bedchamber. Just keep the noise to a minimum and try to remember I’m just down the hall.”
“Yeah, we’ll try, but that’s not what I was going to say.”
“Oh.”
Logan rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s about Kit’s diet.”
“This mysterious cream that he drinks?”
“Yeah, that. I guess I should have mentioned that it’s not the type of cream you pour into your morning coffee.”
Darcy rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”
Logan ignored her rhetorical question. “What Kit calls cream, we humans call semen.”
“Excuse me?”
<
br /> “Cum,” Logan said. “That’s what Kit survives on.”
“You can’t be serious. What sort of a diet is that? How can anyone survive living on nothing but semen?”
“I don’t know how they survive on it, but Kit seems to manage it. The thing is, as the pregnancy progresses, he needs to feed more often from both Halor and myself. My own cum tends to have a bit of an odd effect on him, making him slightly drunk, though he seems to be building up some kind of tolerance. At first it had him really intoxicated, which is how we slipped and he wound up pregnant in the first place. He was drunk and I thought he just felt different because he’s another species.”
“Whoa, whoa.” Darcy held up her hands. “This is racing into the realm of too much information. I don’t need to hear about your sex life in that much detail—or any detail, really.”
“Fine, but you’re going to be doing more than hear about it,” Logan said. “Kit needs to feed. I’ve just told you what his diet consists of. This is a small ship. Do you get it yet?”
Darcy sighed and nodded. “Let me guess. Sooner or later I’m going to walk in on Kit and one or the other of you while he’s feeding, right?”
“Yes.” Logan shrugged. “We’ll try to keep his feeding to the bedchamber as much as possible, but Halor is training me on how to fly this ship, which will require both of us to be here on deck much of the time. If Kit becomes hungry while we’re in the middle of something where it would be dangerous for one of us to leave, he’ll feed while we’re working.”
Darcy snorted. “You think you can concentrate on flying this ship while your boyfriend’s giving you a blowjob? I don’t think so.”
Halor smothered a laugh and Logan could see he was pretending to concentrate on the control panel.
“In those circumstances, he’d probably feed from Halor,” Logan admitted. “Just don’t make a fuss if you walk in on something. Just disappear somewhere and come back in five or ten minutes. Please?”
“Fine,” Darcy agreed. “I don’t need to see my brother having any form of sex.”
