Page 42 of No Strings Attached

They both shrugged, and Acken said, “I have never seen his like.”

Vi sighed, “OK, Friend, then. How intelligent is he? We have companion animals on Earth that look just like him, they’re calleddogs, but they can’t speak and are not generally regarded as a higher order of intelligence. I have to admit, I find myself treating him like a really smart dog, but still just a dog, and I worry that I’m insulting him.”

“It is not possible to insult him with your affectionate regard, Madam Vi. His personality is such that he is delighted by the smallest amount of attention or kindness. But I believe he has more capacity to be useful than we have exposed. Shall I include him on my team and discover his talents?”

Vi smiled brightly at Caussus, “I would be extremely grateful if you would, Caussus. And I think the job you’ve already given him of tending to Kompi, if both are happy with the arrangement, was a brilliant idea. Let’s make sure that Kompi continues to have a caregiver companion, either Trallian or trawg. So, that leaves Mister Beastly and snake guy.”

“The Garoxian would make a formidable addition to the royal guard if we could only communicate with him. But I believe he will happily follow us wherever we go to continue protecting you, little she-beast. I just won’t be able to give him commands toward any other purpose.”

“OK, I’ll spend some time with him to see if we can establish a communication baseline. For the time being, we’ll plan on taking him with us when we travel as an extra level of protection. Personally, I think he would happily protect any of us if we were threatened. That leaves us with snake guy. I noticed him falling in as your rear-guard when you secured the Trallians inthe bunkroom, and both he and Mister Beastly agreed to protect Trak and Bobby while they were dealing with incoming cargo ships. It seems to me like he’s coming around to being part of the crew, no?”

“He is contributing, yes,” Acken said, “but to be part of the crew, he must take orders. That is the obstacle that we still haven’t cleared with him. I will spend some time with him as you spend time with the Garoxian. Perhaps he will join us…at least as a most formidable weapon.”

Caussus asked, “How shall we report to you, Madam Vi?”

She thought for a while, then said, “I’d like the three of us and Trak to meet every morning, to give each other status updates and consider any issues, any decisions to be made, that type of thing. We can meet in the sitting area in my room, let’s say within the first hour that the day cycle starts.” She thought some more, then added, “I’d also like the three of you to come to me any other time during the day with anything that is pressing—that can’t wait until we’re all together again the next morning.” She nodded, then finished, “But otherwise, I’d like you to feel free to run your areas your own way, making the necessary decisions. Agreed?”

Nineteen: Self-Perpetuating Doubts

Bahbi had been surprisedhow smoothly the first cargo ship receiving had gone and more than a little proud that they had been successful using his idea. They had simply engaged the normal hangar and receiving teams to act business-as-usual during the operation, unloading the cargo and chatting with the ship’s crew about space station gossip, then following the crew to the bunkroom where they were secured, and the situation explained.

Oh sure, it had helped that the hangar and receiving teams knew that the Ophidian was in the hangar, camouflaged and waiting to intervene if there was trouble. Or that Mister Beastly had been waiting just outside the hangar doors, the other side of which Trak stood within easy reach of the door release. Bahbi himself had been waiting in the bunkroom with a shock stick, standing behind the door and allowing all of the crews to file in behind Mister Beastly as he led them through.

As a bonus, the operation had kept his mind from gnawing itself down to nothing, eating from the inside out, by thinking incessantly about Vi…both of his time with her and of his fervent wish for more. He had replayed every word she’d ever said to him, every glance his way, every touch a thousand times, looking for signs and secret meanings. He had also replayed his unsettling conversation with Trak a thousand times, sparking branch upon branch of growing, self-perpetuating doubts like the ever-forking branches of a bing-gi tree.

Of course she had selected him for the honor of mating because she enjoyed his company. He was special to her, had protected her and stood by her, and she had been grateful for that.

Of course she had only mated with him because he was available. There was nothing special about him, he was the same as every other Trallian. If she had fallen down into the pool with Trak, she would have done the same with him.

She had kissed him and slept beside him. Twice! And all of that before she found herself trapped in a cavern full of warm water with him. Her mind had only turned toward matingbecauseshe had been with him.

She had been sure to place conditions on their joining, so that Bahbi would not think it meant more than it did. She had made sure that he knew she did not want any strings tied to her, so that he would not expect anything from her afterwards.

But she had said NEXT TIME and meant with him!

But she could have next time with anyone she wanted. Why choose him?

On and on his mind went, grinding his awareness of anything going on outside of that vicious circle to a barely registered periphery. That’s why, during the second cargo ship operation as he stood behind the bunkroom door once again with shock stick in hand, he never saw the danger approach, then overtake him.

Twenty: Look! Panties!

Vi was happy tosee Trak approach as she, Acken, and Caussus disembarked Qlu’s creepy little ship in his private hangar bay.

Acken bellowed, “Trak! Just the person we needed to see first!” Trak smiled, but also looked a little confused. Acken continued, “We have much to discuss with you, then we need a full tour of the asteroid.

But Vi couldn’t help adding, “Where’s Bobby?”

Trak gave her a funny look. In fact, all three males gave her a funny look. She decided to ignore it, and Trak answered, “In the bunkroom.”

Acken, who was easily carrying all five boxes of gemstones in a bundle they had created from a couple of the Trallian hammocks, said, “Excellent. We’ll stop there last. I believe we have quite a lot to discuss with the Trallians. First, we’ll go to Vi’s quarters and have our council.”

With that, he turned, swinging the load over his shoulder, and trekked them out of the hangar, through the garden, and up the stairs. In Vi’s room, he went to the bedroom and set down the gems, then turned to Trak.

“We’ll need to change the security on this room to just Vi, me, and…” he raised an eyebrow to her, questioningly.

She sighed. Was it really so hard for them to believe? She said, “And Bobby, yes.” She thought about it for a moment, then said, “What I’d prefer is if we could find a safe and install it in this common room, here. Then I’d like the outer door keyed to the four of us and Bobby. I’d like the safe keyed to just the four of us. And I’d like security installed on the bedroom door, keyed to just me and Bobby.”

They stared at her.

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