Mars and Coffee
By Shaun M. McGrath
Dave sat in the center chair of the Madra Rua’s command deck.
He leaned back and smiled as he heard the sounds of preparation for the trip to Mars.
“Maud, how fast does your star drive actually go?” Dave loved to talk to the ship.
The ship’s A.I. had a glitch that made it sound as if it was always trying to seduce him.
Several lights flickered on the forward console.
“My star drive has never been fully tested. I have been activated to 32% by general Allta.
At that percentage my speed was 1.24768 times the speed of light.” The comment was followed by a beep. Dave knew that she was calculating something. He waited to hear what she would add to this.
“My designer estimates that my optimum speed would be theoretically nine times the speed of light.” Dave listened for the giggle from the ships command system.
“Wow! That is fast! How long would it take to get to the outer rim planets at that speed?”
“My drive systems would allow me to reach the outer rim in Eight minutes! However Dave,
You should know that no living creature on board would survive either the acceleration or the deceleration.” The AI sounded rather sad to give that news.
“What about you? Would you be alright?” Dave sat up and looked at the display screen.
“I am not a living creature, Dave.” The ships AI sounded even sadder.
“Bull pucky!” Dave stood up and nearly yelled at the ship’s AI.
“You may not be fragile meat like the rest of us but by god you are just as alive as we are!
I think you might even be more so! You at least are self-aware enough to know when something is wrong! Half the time I can’t tell!” Dave looked at the coffee pot. It was off but as soon as he looked at it the thing lit up and started to brew a fresh pot. Dave just stared.
“Thanks Maud!” He sat back down and took a deep breath.
“My scans show you to be in excellent health, General Dave!” The Human male knew that the AI was messing with him now. He started to chuckle and then without really thinking made the comment that would cause this to be one interesting trip.
“I love you too Maud!” Dave shook his head and smiled.
The two forward consoles suddenly lit up and Dave heard the beeps of many calculations.
Just as he was about to ask what was going on, his attention was pulled away.
“Dave, do you have your speech ready yet?”
Dave turned away from the console and looked at Jackey. She was framed against the lights from the main cabin. Dave noted that she was wearing a uniform that really showed off her ample chest and small waist. The human smiled up at her.
“Mostly! Where are the boys?” Dave smiled at her. He knew that she might just be going into season soon. He was hoping that she would take advantage of him and the time on this trip.
“The boys are in the galley with Angie and Luna!” Jackey smiled and almost bit her lower lip as the human stretched out in the chair. She knew he was giving her a chance to look.
“Aoife has decided to stay on Earth as she is due any day now!” Jackey could not resist.
She stepped into the main cabin beside Dave and put her hands on his chest. She put her leg over him and sat on his lap facing him. She leaned in and nuzzled his neck.
“I am so glad you decided to leave the fighter here! Now we have some time for more important things.” Jackey opened his shirt and then gave him a look.
“Where are they? You know very well the graduates at the academy are expecting to see them!” Jackey was about to get off of his lap when he grabbed her by the hips.
“Relax! I put them in a box and hid them in your secret cooler!” Dave smiled as he nuzzled his face into her cleavage. Jackey shook her head and put her arms around his head.
“General Allta, the Madra Rua is fully fueled and armed. Will Earth Force One be flying escort?” Commander Kodiak was not sure if she should have the Wolf Pack ready for deep space travel. Allta looked at her then stared out the window at the large shuttle.
“Not this trip! They are just going to a graduation and to visit a friend.”
“General, we all know, that every time our General Dave has ever left the planets corona things have, shall we say, gotten a bit exciting!” Commander Vern was too worried to remember the rank protocol. Allta looked down and took a deep breath.
“The rebels have been defeated! The only issue is that group calling themselves the Forgotten!
They don’t seem to be much of a threat but I would like the Wolf pack on standby until he is home!” She gave them a look that told them the unofficial answer was different than the official one. Allta looked over at Dave’s XO a general named Pherar. He noticed the stare.
“I only work on base operations! We do the best at whatever we do! That is we are the best at supporting the needs of the Wolf Pack, whatever they need!” He smiled knowing that his statement was even confusing to him.
“Garuc is working on the new Embassy and Joshua is off at the advanced Rescue training.”
Allta was starting to almost wish something would happen.
“We are all very proud of that boy! Advanced training at seventeen! The boy is already a legend to many!” Kodiak had a tear and a smile.
“It is not that surprising that he decided to go into rescue instead of a fighter pilot. Once he found out on his first assignment that he was able to help people as well as defend, well, I bet that is what set his feet on that path!” Vern looked over at Allta to see how she felt about it.
“I think Dave was a little stunned but actually happy that Joshua is taking this path.
He said that he would give him a chance, and he did. He said that he would see what Joshua would do with it and we have.” Allta looked over at the large guild ship that had been allowed to berth on base while Shielah worked on the Ai for the virt chamber.
“That is not one of their salvage ships is it?” Allta looked at Vern.
“Nope! They said that it was a long range treaty vessel. Shielah won’t say anything about it but I suppose that is part of being a member of the guild.” Vern smiled knowing that Shielah could be trusted with almost any secret. She knew that if it did not involve either Dave or Virt technology that Shielah didn’t really care.
“I went home the other day and found Dave trying to teach the boys some game with clubs and a ball. I think he called it Base Ball? Anyway I had to stop them as Dave Jr. almost hit Thomas in the mouth with the club when he was swinging at the ball. I am not sure teaching them ancient human games is a good idea.” Allta shook her head and wondered how Ballta and the nannies were doing with the children.
General Pherar looked over closely at Allta.
“General, the flight of pilots leading those two commanders will be returning from the course in just bit. I think we can handle them from here. It sounds like the captains put them in their place well enough. Now is the harder task of teaching them. Perhaps you should take some time and go be with your children?” Allta gave him a look and a smile.
“Especially, that twelve thousand year old child of mine!” Allta put the pad down on her desk and went to the hat rack. She grabbed her hat and gave them all a smile. Then she headed out the door to the Madra Rua.
Jackey noted the lights on the forward console and wondered what Dave had done this time.
“Maud, what are you doing?” She tried to get off of the human but he was holding her in place.
“Scanning my logic circuits, commander!” The ships AI sounded different.
They finished the preparations for the trip and headed back to the house.
“I have all the supplies we will need. I am looking forward to meeting this friend of yours.
Runt sounds like a really good person. If she is anything like her granddaughter then I hope to be friends.” Angie was holding Luna on her hip. Jackey had picked up Dave Jr. and handed him to Dave. Then she picked up Thomas and smiled at him.
“We should go check on the others. Angie, what are you planning for dinner?” All eyes turned to the Lupis.
“Actually my little brother is making some sort of dish that he and Dave were trying to perfect.
It is an ancient recipe I think he called it Beans and wieners! He said the children would love it!”
Angie then looked at the smile on Dave’s face and shook her head.
They noted that the smell was pretty good as they walked into the house.
The family sat down at the table and Dave noted that Nym and Donna were nowhere to be seen. He waited to see if they would show up for the meal.
“Nym and Donna went up to her cousin’s place to deliver the new tractors. I think that they won’t be back until later. I understand that the new Donna Doe medical center has started construction.” Ballta was helping several of the children with their new favorite food.
“Was she able to get that farm back?” Dave looked over at Ballta as he scooped up some more of the soupy mixture and put it into a bowl.
“Actually it was always hers! All she had to do was pay the inheritance fee!” Shielah walked in and sat down. She sighed and then opened her pad as she stuck a bite of the food in her mouth.
The larger females eyes closed and she lost all track of anything else.
“Angie you have out done yourself! What is this, I love it!” Shielah turned away from the pad and before she knew it had nearly inhaled three bowls of the stuff.
“I didn’t make it! Klondike and Dave created it. Dave said that it was from an ancient family recipe.” Angie took a bite and knew why Shielah was fond of it.
“It has beans, Bacon, brown sugar and molasses. I am not sure what these chunks of meat are!”
They all turned to Dave and gave him the look.
“The secret!” He raised his spoon and grinned at them.
Klondike and his mates came in with another pot of the brew and set it on the table.
They all sat down and started to enjoy the meal.
“I’ll tell you later!” Klondike smiled at his sister.
“Allta are you going with Dave to Mars?” Klondike’s first mate Jenny was still nervous to see her best friend from school. She was not sure she would ever get used to the scars and missing eye.
“No I have to conduct some serious training here on Earth. We have a couple of commanders from the field who need a bit of help. The council is sending four more soon. I think that they want Dave to bring a couple back with him from Mars.” Allta looked over at Dave.
“Yes, but I was not sure about the tone in Gnarl’s last message. She seemed to be worried.
There is something happening on Mars. She would not say but it worries me.”
“Are you taking your fighter?” Aoife looked at him and put her hand on her belly.
“No I think Maud could use a bit of travel. I feel bad just leaving her sit there all the time.”
“Dave, you already have her thinking that she is one of us!” Shielah gave the human a stare.
“You know when I was a kid we had these television shows about space ships with Android Avatars! Is such a thing possible?” They all stopped and stared at him.
“What is an Avatar?” Ballta gave him a frown.
Dave’s eyebrows went up and he shrugged his shoulders.
The butler entered the room and went over to Commander Jackey. He bent down and whispered to her.
“My lady, Commander Tellers is on the front porch asking to see you!”
Jackey frowned at her coffee cup. Then she got up and followed the butler out to the porch.
“Commander, what can I do for you?” She gave him a stare. She was not sure that she would ever be able to trust this commander. He had on several different occasions tried to kill Dave.
“I am really sorry to bother you. There may be no problem at all but just in case, I would like to ask a favor?” He looked her in the eyes.
Dave looked at Shielah and noted that she had put her pad away. She held her baby and cuddled. He was amazed at how she was able to balance her work and her life at home.
Jackey came back into the room with a worried look on her face.
“What is the matter?” Dave got up and went over to her.
“Maybe nothing, maybe something!” Commander Tellers just told me that his sisters went to Mars with that young lord. Apparently he was invited to a tour of one of the companies his father had left for him. The thing is that they left their hotel to go on the tour but never arrived at the company. They have been missing for three days now. He asked if I would look into it!”
Jackey sighed heavily and then saw the children starting to fall asleep.
“Someone needs to go to bed!” She smiled and allowed herself this distraction.
Allta was holding her little ones in her arms and making noises.
“No baseball for you! No, no, no! Are you picking on your brother again?” She kissed the little one on the cheek. Dave looked at Allta and started to say something then thought better of it.
Dave wanted to help put the little ones to bed but tonight he had matters of state to attend to before the trip to Mars. He never did understand why James was still the butler, he was after all a knight of the realm.
Dave carried his coffee into the study and sat down at the desk. He looked at the faces of the elders sitting and waiting for him. Some of them were still nervous at being there, others were just taking it in stride. Dave raised his cup almost to his lips then had to set it back down as a large bellied fellow cleared his throat and stood up.
“We the senior members of the Co-Op would like to thank you sire, for sending the guild to us.
Sales of the Russet potatoes have never been this good in all of our history!” His voice cracked slightly. Then bowed and sat back down.
“Also the northern Alliance of small grain producers would like to thank you for the new hospital and the town hall.” He also bowed and then sat back down.
“Sire, I am not normally a member of this group but I am here on behalf of the families of the rebels you brought home.” The older male had tears running down his face as he took a deep breath and tried hard to get it out.
“We thank you for bringing our babies …. Our children, home!”
Dave rose and knocked over his cup. He did not even care about the stain on his pants.
The old human walked over to the elder who was crying. He put his hand on the elders shoulder.
“You let me know what you need to help them! It cannot be easy. I am … please accept my apology for those who did not… return. In many ways we are all family and we need to look out for each other. In my original time farmers were in most cases family. We used to take care of one another and have picnics and dances and just plain fun. Do you ever have county fairs?”
Dave realized that they did not know what a county fair was.
“This coming summer I will see if I can arrange something.” Dave wanted to scream inside.
He went back to the desk and took out his handkerchief to try and clean up the mess.
“My lord, while this is the most prosperous time we, your loyal subjects have ever had, we must protest this tax schedule you have given us. Two percent of the value of our farms?”
“Well, if I pay you any more than that even my wealth will be gone in no time!”
Dave looked at the elder.
“What?” they all stood up and looked at Dave.
“Come on! I have to build new roads, new hospitals and infrastructure and then to pay everyone two percent of the value of your farms, that is a lot of credits!” Dave stared at them.
“You mean, you are paying us?” Many of them sat down again and just stared blankly.
“Well yea, why would you pay me? I am richest person in history!” Dave looked at James.
The butler nodded and smiled.
The group settled back down and sat there waiting for the next order of business.
“Sire, we of the research group would like to put forth some proposals, if we may?”
“Present them to Lord James and if he deems them worth anything then he will bring them to me. I will not fund anything that is just a way to waste resources, needed by others!”
Dave was in need of another cup of coffee but noted that the pot was empty.
“Your Majesty, we are all aware that you have knighted Lord James but have you knighted anyone else?” They all seemed to be looking for some sign that they might get knighted.
“Not yet! I am looking at several people but if I tell them, they might change their way of acting and I want to see who they really are first!” Dave smiled knowing what will happen.
The rest of the meeting was pretty boring. Dave headed out to the main bedroom just as soon as it was over. The children were all in bed asleep in their rooms and Dave’s mates were sitting and talking quietly. Dave looked at them and smiled. He could see that each of them had changed in some ways. The fear that had sent Angie into space, to escape, was gone and she was no longer a trapped princess. Now she was a queen and was not afraid to speak her mind.
Shielah was still Shielah but no longer obsessed with ancient humans, she had one!
Allta was perhaps the happiest of all. Her fear that she would never have children was replaced by a sense of fulfillment. Jackey was happy for her sister but now seemed to allow herself to think and feel without her sister. Dave could tell that the two were still bonded but it no longer mattered. Garuc’s children were aggressive and yet kind. Dave had seen that at nap time all the others would cuddle around them as they were warmer than any blanket. The three seemed to like that more than many of their toys. Jackey’s boys and Angie’s little girl seemed to be the protectors of the others. Garuc herself had become something Dave never expected.
She was now stern but thoughtful and even a little reserved. She had been an aggressive creature and frankly he kind of like it that way. At times she still was but now, it was only with him. He found that she no longer had to be aggressive to command the troops under her.
Fear had been replaced by respect. The large cat creature now had an aura about her.
Donna was perhaps the one to change the most. She had gone from being a child in his eyes to being a beautiful creature and now she was a kind, respected and even loved Matriarch amongst her hybrid. This struck Dave as a bit odd since she was still just seventeen.
Aoife he decided had not changed a bit. She was the same as she had always been.
She spent a lot of time with Allta and her babies, especially Eoin.
She had already told Dave that if hers was a boy she wanted to name him BOB.
She also said that if it was a girl she would name it Anna.
Tela claimed to favor the names Peter and Rose if she ever had children. Dave had not yet been with her because he did not know if she was a good fit into the family.
She seemed scatter brained and a bit of a free spirit to Dave. He was not convinced that she would be happy being tied down to him.
She treated him as if he were three different people all with the same name.
Garuc walked in to the main bedroom and noted that Dave was getting ready for bed.
He didn’t seem to notice that all the women were watching him.
Garuc was still the bold one. She walked right up behind him and grabbed his back side as he bent over to pull his socks off. Dave did not straighten up he just looked over his shoulder at her and smiled.
“How can you have such a small back side and not be bony?” Garuc purred at him.
Dave straightened up and put his arms around her. He leaned in and nuzzled her neck.
Jackey and Allta were doing a rock paper scissors to see who got sleep next to Garuc.
Angie walked over to Dave and put her hand on his chest. She kissed him and pushed him onto the bed. Ballta, Donna and Nym had their own beds for now. Their beds were a strange shape but apparently very comfortable when one is pregnant. They had almost scolded Dave when he tried to lie down on one of the beds. Aoife preferred to sleep in the large recliner for now.
“Where is Tela sleeping?” Dave looked at Angie.
“On the couch in the study, I think!” Jackey looked at Dave.
“Well is she one of the family or not?” Dave stared at the girls.
“She does not have to be with me! But the bed would be far more comfortable.”
The ancient human looked at the women. Allta scratched her head and looked at the others.
“I never thought to ask her!” Angie nodded her head.
“I will go and see if she wants to come in.” Angie then walked out in the direction of the study.
Dave crawled up onto the bed and waited for Angie to return.
It was only a few minutes when Angie came in with Tela in hand. Tela still had her blanket in her other hand.
“See! I told you it is huge!” Dave almost took that the wrong way. His eyes opened wide.
“I tried to tell her that we had the largest bed in the kingdom! Maybe now she will believe me?”
Angie turned to look at Tela and noted the look on the girls face.
Angie then realized that Dave had nothing on.
“Awe, well you should get used to the view.” Angie leaned in and whispered to Tela.
“He likes to show off! Wait till you see him stretch!” Angie then looked at Dave as if he was supposed to do something. Dave guessed by the look on Angie’s what she wanted him to do.
He pretended to yawn and stretch out flexing all his muscles. He peeked under his arm and saw Angie smile wide.
“Is he real?” Tela started to crawl up on the bed and put out her hand to touch Dave.
She poked him on the arm and then on the thigh. He was firm and warm.
“So which one is this one?” She looked at Angie.
“They are all identical! I keep telling you they are the same person!” The others started to snicker. Angie just shook her head and told Tela to lie down. Angie then went over and turned off the main lights. She came back and crawled in next to Tela.