“Hey Gang,” Will called over his comms unit. I’ve sold off the rad batteries and found us dinner for tonight. What have you been up to?”

  “Ah, well, we’ve had quite a bit of excitement this morning. Meet us at the cafe at booth 23C and we’ll tell you all about it," June replied, underselling the morning’s activities.

  “Sounds good, I should be there in twenty minutes,” Will said, ending the conversation.

  June, Interface, and Ben returned to the little cafe where they had been drinking coffee while they waited for Will. They found that while everyone watched events unfold in the street just outside, no one had cleared their table of beverages. So the trio recimed their seats and watched the security detail wrestle four rge body bags into an ambunce, no doubt heading to the station’s morgue.

  The hostess came out from the kitchen and up to their table with a look of awe and admiration. “Everything is on the house today,” she said shyly. “I saw what you did for those people. You were so brave," She gnced around at each of them, but her eyes lingered on Interface slightly longer.

  “You deserve a reward. Order anything you like on the menu, and I’ll have the kitchen whip it up quick," Then she paused, seemed to muster up some courage, and reached into the pocket of her bck apron, retrieving a small slip of paper.

  “I get off work at Five, maybe if you’re not busy, we could go get a drink...” the hostess said, giving Interface her number, blushing and smiling sheepishly.

  Gncing at the paper in her hand, “I have pns this evening,” the hostess's heart sank. Interface looked to June, who was wearing a wide smile, subtly nodded her head, and then she said, “But I’m free tomorrow. Would that be okay, Diana?” Interface said, reading her nametag. The smile returned to Diana’s face, slightly brighter than it had been.

  “Yeah, tomorrow would be great," She said. “Meet me here at seven?” Diana said with hope in her voice.

  “Seven sounds perfect,” Interface said, face beaming with excitement.

  With a wide smile, Diana topped off Ben’s coffee and asked June, “Would you like another espresso?”

  “That would be lovely, thank you,” June replied. As soon as Diana disappeared back into the kitchen, June looked at Interface and Ben and said, “I told you, didn’t I?” she said with a big smile.

  As they chatted and ughed, Will found them seated out front. He pulled another chair up from the empty table beside them and squeezed between June and Ben.

  “So what was all this excitement you were talking about?” Will asked as he broke off a corner of the lemon scone June had been nibbling and popped it in his mouth.

  Their faces at the table darkened, so Will leaned forward, growing concerned.

  “June spotted a bunch of svers hiding people in crates, shipping them off to God knows where. But we stopped them," Interface said with a hard tone of satisfaction.

  “Feels like there's more to this story,” Will responded.

  After a pause, June picked up where Interface left off. “The really strange part was that all of the kidnapped people were painted with a silver design like our markings, only more crude. It feels like it was supposed to signify something, but who knows.”

  “Did the security folks have anything to add?” Will asked.

  “They seemed as stumped as we were,” June said, shrugging her shoulders. “We do know that security didn't get a chance to get any information out of them; the bastards were killed before they could talk.”

  “Sounds like someone was close by watching it go sideways, and pulled the plug. I bet they're pouring over the security cams as we speak.”

  Then Ben scratched his chin for a moment and spoke. “If they were close enough to know when to execute their fall guys, it stands to reason that they could have been close enough to see one of us. If the paint on those people do have significance to them, it would make us stand out in their eyes.” The group looked around at each other with uncomfortable looks on their faces.

  “There is something else that was super weird about that whole thing," Ben gestured broadly at the now cleaned-up and back-to-normal scene just outside of the cafe, “We took out four muscle-bound, gorils. Three weeks ago if I had gone toe to toe with a dude that big, he would have fttened me. Now Interface I understand, she’s one mean mama jama,” he said with a smile to Interface, “but there should have been no way June and I could have taken those guys out, even if we tag teamed one of them. You should have seen it, June shattered a guy’s jaw!” He raised his hands over his head in bafflement.

  “Well, the simple answer is that you’re not entirely human anymore,” Interface said. Will, June, and Ben’s mouths dropped open, surprised at the statement. “Well, you’re still mostly human, but your bodies are changing as your connection to me grows stronger. You’ve already experienced some of the changes, your increased libido, for one.”

  “I’ll say," June concurred with an ear-to-ear grin.

  Interface smiled back. “Other things you’ll notice is that your strength, agility, and reflexes will improve. I keep close tabs on your health, and so long as you get regur doses of precursor fluid into your system, you won’t get sick anymore. I’ll be able to maintain your bodies at peak physical condition for a very long time.”

  “When you say a ‘very long time’, what do you mean exactly?” June asked, tilting her head to one side, trying to parse Interface’s meaning.

  Interface was surprised at the question, having not given it much thought. “Well, when my crew and I were exploring the gaxy, we roamed all over space for hundreds of years,” Interface said.

  “Wait a minute,” Will said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Are you saying we won’t age?”

  They all paused, contempting what Interface’s revetion meant. “You mean to say, we’re immortal now?” Ben asked in astonishment.

  “Well, I don’t know about immortal, accident and dismemberment are always a possibility, but I knew several flesh and blood people who were over a thousand years old,” Interface said.

  They all thought about that momentarily, and then Will broke the silence. “Well, I don't even know what to say about that. Crashing on that pnet and meeting you was like falling into shit and coming out smelling like roses!” He leaned over and gave Interface a peck on the cheek. “This is something I’ll probably need time to wrap my head around.”

  Will’s face grew serious, his thoughts returning to recent events. “But this business with the svers,” he said, changing the subject, “we simply don't have enough information to act on, so for now we will need to be vigint and careful. We don’t know who they are, what they want, or why they painted those people to look like us. If Ben is right, their attention is something we don’t want to draw," Will said, looking around at his family with loving concern.

  They all nodded in agreement. “They better hope that WE don’t find THEM,” Interface said, her voice like cold iron. Their expressions of determined agreement told her they shared the sentiment.

  “Now, changing topics,” Will began, turning the conversation to the more immediately practical, “We made six grand from those batteries, which will be plenty to get us to Centrailia Spaceport. Three months on the ferry, and from there, it'll take us, what, two weeks at our current speed to get to Peirault Headquarters on Durinheim?” Will looked at June, seeking confirmation that his travel estimate was correct, and she nodded in agreement.

  “That will give us close to four months to plot our next steps. And we'll need to find a way to make some cash to finance our expeditions looking for leads into Interface's past. We promised to find your people and we will," Interface's face beamed with appreciation.

  Diana appeared at their table with a cup and carafe and offered some coffee to Will, spotting a moment ago that he was the only person without a beverage. He accepted gratefully, then she left to attend to another customer.

  “You mentioned you figured out what we're going to do for dinner," June prompted.

  “Indeed I did,” Will said, sipping his cup. “You'll never guess who runs the maintenance shop here on Penrose," He said to June with a big smile.

  “Who?” She asked.

  “Jeremy Walters,” Will revealed.

  “No kidding! Wow, it's been ages!” June excimed.

  “Yeah, he settled down, with a wife and a kid, the whole nine. Seems pretty happy. We've all been invited to dinner," Will said.

  “An old friend of yours?” Interface asked, excited to possibly meet someone new.

  “Yeah, met him first year in the academy; we went through a lot together," He smiled, thinking about the shenanigans they had gotten up to in the past.

  “So I thought we'd purchase our passage on the ferry, then head right over to their apartment, stopping to grab a bottle of wine on the way. He said dinner was at six, so we should think about getting a move on," Will said.

  They all stood up from the table and headed outside to the busy street. Interface caught Diana’s eye on her way out as she was wiping down an empty table and waved goodbye. Diana smiled and waved back, watching the group leave.

  As they exited onto the street, they looked around and were surprised at how efficiently the station personnel had cleared away the morning’s crime scene and returned everything to normal; the vehicle nes were choked with slow-moving traffic, and pedestrian walkways full of busy people heading off to appointments.

  The group was tight on time and, with a little cash in their pockets, decided to take the tram to the far end of the station where the administrative offices were. Will paid their fare with the cryptostick Jeremy had given him with his payment for the batteries. They took the seats facing each other, Ben and Interface on one side, their arms around each other’s waist, and Will and June on the other, sitting close. The doors closed, and the scenery out the tram window scrolled by, picking up speed until it was almost a blur.

  Will thought about Interface’s revetion for a moment and the long march of time suddenly in front of him. The scope of it felt daunting at first, but then he realized that it also meant that there would be enough time to accomplish anything he wanted and that he would be with the people he loved the whole time. Will slipped an arm around June’s shoulders and hugged her tight, and she id her head on his shoulder. Will smiled.

  The tram made several stops along the way and finally arrived at the end of the line, just outside the station administrative offices. They disembarked and made their way over to the rge gss double doors with a sign in rge letters above them spelling ‘Administration’.

  They entered the atrium, a wide open space with tall ceilings and rge potted pnts surrounded by benches dotting the space. Walking past these, they found the office directory on the far wall and scanned it for their target. A surprising number of businesses were listed, all renting space in one of the many suites avaible, so it took a moment to find it among the close to a hundred listings.

  “Inter-Pnetary Ferry Services LLC. Suite 412," Will read out loud. “Looks like they're on the fourth floor.”

  They piled into the elevator, and as the doors closed, Interface ran her hands up and down June’s sides from behind, kissing the crook of her neck.

  “Insatiable,” Will muttered with a smile, which she returned, looking over June’s shoulder with smoky eyes.

  The lift door chimed and opened, and when they stepped into the hallway, they found the sign pointing out the direction of various suite numbers. They followed the directions to number 412, which had a pin, light brown door with the letters ‘IPFS’ stenciled on it.

  They opened the door, entered, and were greeted by a sign that read, “Please take a number and be seated.” A small white ticket dispenser hung below the sign. Interface smiled at the novelty of it, pressed the button on the dispenser, and it spat out a ticket, which she took with a giggle. “This is all so exciting,” she said. “Watching actual bureaucracy in action is fascinating.”

  Ben thought she was out of her mind. “If you think this is great, wait until you see the Department of Motor Vehicles," Ben joked, but it was wasted on her.

  The waiting room was half full, with six or seven people spread throughout. They picked a group of seats together and sat across from a dour-looking man with a briefcase in his p who watched them sit across from him.

  Interface clutched her numbered ticket with both hands and smiled wide at the dour man across from her. His bad mood was no match for the silver girl; in a sundress, bare feet, ample cleavage, and a big smile aimed at him, he cracked, and his darkness lifted. He smiled back at her, and when his number was called, he stood, nodded at her, and said goodbye with a soft “Ma’am” to her.

  As the man went to the counter, Will smiled at Interface and how she never failed to amaze him with her easy charm and ability to make people feel good.

  They waited another hour and a half as the people who had come before them were called to the counter and taken care of. “Number thirty-seven?” an older woman, in a tired and rough voice, called into the waiting room.

  “That’s us!” Interface said, excitedly waving the ticket she still clutched in her hand. June smiled, and Will led them to the counter.

  “We’re number thirty-seven, Gdys!” Interface procimed jubintly, reading the frumpy older woman’s namepte sitting on the counter, then presented the ticket to her.

  “Good for you,” Gdys said ftly. “What can I do for you?” She said, in a tone that said of all the things she could be doing, this was her least favorite.

  “We’d like to purchase a berth for our shuttle on the next ferry to Centrailia Station,” Will said. “She’s a seventy-meter shuttle; we’re working on getting a temporary transponder from Penrose control before we leave,” Will said.

  Looking down at her terminal, “Hmm. I’m afraid I just sold the st berth of that size in the passenger hangar. You’ll have to pay for the next size up," Gdys said coldly.

  “How much would that cost?” June asked, concerned.

  “Let me see," Gdys punched some keys, pulling up the info. “Twelve thousand.”

  Will’s face bnched. “We really can’t afford that. Are you sure there isn’t any more room?” A hint of anxiety crept into his voice.

  “All the passenger berths that size are taken. You’ll need to upgrade or you can purchase a berth on the next ferry," Gdys said, still punching keys and looking at her terminal, with no hint of emotion or empathy for their plight on her face.

  “When’s the next ferry due?” June asked.

  “Six months,” Gdys said, not looking up from her typing.

  “Is there anything you can do to get us on this ferry, anything at all?” Interface’s expression had slid from joy to crushed defeat. Her eyes pleaded with Gdys, and when she finally looked up at her, a tiny crack of humanity shone through for the briefest of moments.

  Gdys typed more into her terminal and replied, “There is a spare berth in the maintenance section for a shuttle. You’ll have to pay extra for the transfer fees, though. Thirty-five hundred.”

  “Oh, thank you so much, Gdys!” Interface said with genuine gratitude. “I could kiss you.”

  “Don’t,” Gdys said, the frumpy expression returning to her face.

  “Thank you very much. I can’t tell you how much this means to us,” Will said, handing Gdys their crypto stick so she could process the payment. She inserted it into her payment terminal, typed some more, and then handed the crypto stick back to Will.

  “And one more thing,” Gdys said as she bent under the counter with a groan, the flexibility of youth having long ago left her. “You’ll need this to dock," She said as she dropped a rge square, gray object on the counter with a thud. “This temporary transponder will allow you to dock with the ferry ‘Dals’ when it arrives. It will be active for four months at which time you need to return it to our offices on Centrailia.”

  Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Will pulled the transponder toward him, slid it across the counter, and picked it up. “Thank you so much for your help, Gdys. I hope you have a nice rest of your day," Will said, then turned to leave.

  Gdys harumpfed as Will thanked her, but after they left her office, she smiled ever so slightly. Then her disgruntled expression returned. “Number thirty-eight," She called in a ft tone.

  ****

  In the hallway just outside the IPFS office carrying the bulky transponder, Will told the group, “This saves us from having to go get a transponder from Penrose Control. However, we'll be te to Jeremy's if we swing by the ship and drop it off. We’ll just bring it with us.”

  “We don’t have to if we don’t want to,” Interface said. “ I could dispce it to the ship if that would be easier.”

  “Really?” Will asked, his eyebrows jumping up in surprise. “Just like that?”

  “Yeah, Ship’s idle right now, except for the ‘wrinkle’. The ship has loads of power avaible. Plus it’s always easier dispcing back to the ship," Interface said.

  “So you’d dispce it and let it drop on a workbench somewhere?” Ben asked, fascinated, trying to understand her process of near magic. The wheels in his mind turned over possibilities.

  “No, I’d hand it off to my other instantiation, then I’d set it down somewhere, or install it if you want," She replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  June did a double-take and asked, “Wait, you have another body on the ship right now?”

  “Yes, and before you ask, I have plenty of energy to maintain a couple of bodies if I wanted to, especially if one stays on the ship. I can handle, oh probably three max at the moment," Interface said.

  June smiled mischievously, “You mean to tell me that I could have multiples of you ravaging my body?” she asked, eyes suddenly full of lust.

  “You can have as many as you think you can handle,” Interface said in a low, sultry voice, stroking June’s cheek.

  “It’s a date! I can’t wait to have you coming at me from all angles!” June said excitedly, pressing her thighs together. She draped herself over Interface like she physically was incapable of waiting.

  “You’ll have to, at least until after dinner, unless you would like me to make an excuse for you two?” Will said, only managing to dampen June’s excitement slightly.

  “No, I suppose you’re right. I can wait," June said, managing to rein in her libido.

  Then Interface turned to Will. “Why don’t you give me that now, and I’ll take a quick 4-D walk with it," Then she paused with a twinkle of mischief in her eye. “No wait, I have a better idea.”

  As she stood there, a thin thread of silver appeared next to her, about as tall as she was. Then, as if rushing closer but not moving, another Interface developed and stood next to the first. They were identical twins, right down to the sundress, and then they both sashayed over to June, kissing her on both cheeks.

  June reached an arm around both Interfaces and hugged them close. “This is going to be so much fun!” June excimed, beaming with lustful excitement.

  Both Interfaces giggled, and then one approached Will and took the transponder from him. “See you soon,” she said with a wink. Then, a thin yer of silver swept out from her hands, covering the transponder, and then she shrank away to nothing and was gone.

  The remaining Interface kissed June on the cheek again. “Oh honey, the things I have pnned for you," June’s eyes lit up. If they had even the slightest bit of privacy, Will was certain legs would be flying over someone’s shoulders, and a whole lot of moaning would ensue.

  Ben watched the whole exchange with a watchmaker’s gaze, and Will could see the wheels turning in his head, pnning something. He would check in with him ter to see what Ben was thinking.

  “Well now that’s settled, let’s go pay a visit to an old friend,” Will said as they headed out of the office building.

  Unnoticed, a shadow of an eavesdropper slipped away down the hall and around a corner, heading in the other direction.

  ****

  Gncing down at the paper in his hand, Will compared the number above the entrance to the number scribed on the paper. “This is the pce," he said to June, Ben, and Interface. He looked over the list of apartment numbers and 302B and pressed the call button. A brief second passed when they heard the door buzz, and then they opened it and stepped inside. The foyer was small but clean, painted in an off-white. They found the lift down a short hallway and pressed the button to call it. The door opened, and they stepped in. The lift was on the small side and would be uncomfortably close if more than four people wanted to ride it simultaneously.

  The lift door opened on the third floor, and they found 302B at the far end of the hallway. Will gnced at his party, June carrying the wine, and knocked on the door. It immediately swung open, and Jeremy stood on the other side, holding the door open. His wife Sarah stood just behind her, with little Tara peeking out from behind Sarah’s leg, clutching her pant leg tight.

  “Will! I'm gd you came,” Jeremy said, hugging Will. He was a big man with red hair, a couple of inches on Will, much broader shoulders, and muscles defined by years of working in the maintenance shop moving heavy parts around.

  “Jeremy, let me introduce you to my..” Will struggled only a moment to find the right descriptor that wouldn’t sound weird but decided to call it as it was, “family. This is June, Ben, and Interface.” Jeremy hugged all of them, but after hugging Interface, held her by her shoulders at arm's length to get a good look at her. “My aren’t you an unusual one.”

  “That she is,” Will said. “She’s the main reason we’re all together, but that story is for after dinner with wine. Right now, you need to introduce me to these two dies,” he said warmly.

  “This is my wife Sarah, and my daughter Tara.” Sarah went up to Will and gave him a big hug. Will hugged her back, the top of her head just below his chin. The petite blonde hugged him with a surprising fierceness for a moment longer than you would expect from a friendly hug. She stepped back and looked up into Will’s eyes. “It’s so good to finally meet you, Will," she said with an enormous smile; her eyes sparkled and were moist with a held-back tear.

  “It’s good to meet you too Sarah," Will returned the smile.

  “Say hi to my friend Will and his family, Tara,” Jeremy said reassuringly.

  She smiled at them shyly, gave a little wave, and then scampered back into the apartment proper from the entryway.

  “She’s a cutie,” June said to Sarah warmly.

  “Don’t let that fool you, she’s a little mischief maker, like her father,” Sarah said, beaming up at Jeremy, who returned the smile, putting his arm around her shoulder.

  “Come in, come in, let’s not hang in the hallway,” Jeremy said, leading them into the living room. The apartment was well furnished but cozy, with an open design. The living room, dining area, and kitchen were all in sight of each other, allowing easy conversation from all three well-appointed rooms. The living room had a long couch, and opposite it, across a low coffee table, was a love seat with two stuffed, comfortable-looking chairs on either side.

  Sarah took the bottle of wine from June and said, “Let me get this chilled," then carried it to the kitchen area.

  Jeremy gestured to the couch, so Will, June, Interface, and Ben squeezed down onto it, comfortably close. Will put an arm around June, and Interface sat between June and Ben, snaking her arms around their waists.

  “Anyone care for some tea?” Sarah called from the kitchen.

  “Yes, please,” Will, June, and Ben said in chorus. “Water, if you don’t mind,” Interface requested.

  After a short time, Sarah returned to the living room with a small tray containing six tea cups and a cold gss of water. Everyone took a cup, sipped the warm, aromatic liquid, and smiled pleasantly.

  “This is a nice apartment, roomier than I would have expected on a station like this,” Will said, looking around at the living space.

  “Yeah, station management recognized that if you want to keep quality workers, you need to make sure they’re comfortable and well taken care of. Penrose is not a major hub, but it is an important link for a lot of the systems on this edge of the gactic trade network. They’re very supportive and foster a close community aboard the station," Jeremy expined.

  “For instance,” Sarah jumped in, “there are a lot of station-sponsored group activities, club sports teams, pottery and painting groups, and the like. I participate in a book club and a sculpture css on the weekends. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to make friends on the station.”

  “What are you reading in your book club?” Interface asked, intrigued.

  “We’re currently reading a historical account of the settling of Tertisus Major. A fascinating read. The failure of the colony was tragic and the book handles it well, and also provides a smoothly deliberated discussion of how at almost every step, they could have prevented the disaster if only they had made one different choice.”

  Sarah smiled to herself and then continued. “Though we don’t only read historical books. Everyone takes turns picking out the book to read, the book before that was one of those romance books with a bunch of naughty parts. That was a hoot to read as a group," Sarah said, blushing a little.

  “Sounds fascinating and fun," Interface said warmly. “Do you also work here on the station?” She asked.

  “Yes, I do part-time data entry for the administration offices,” Sarah replied. “I have a terminal in the apartment, so I can work and be with Tara. It is a great setup," she smiled, patting Jeremy’s knee. So what do you all do?”

  “That’s an excellent question,” June said with a slightly exasperated smile. “Will and I still technically work for the Peirault Shipping Company, though current circumstances will probably change that. We’re heading back to Centrailia then to Durinheim to return the ‘Heart of Saturn’s’ Transponder. After that, it’s kind of up in the air.”

  Sarah looked confused. “Returning just the transponder?” She questioned.

  “Yeah, we recently shipwrecked not far from here, about ten lightyears,” June answered.

  “Oh, my! That must have been harrowing!” Sarah excimed.

  “Yes, it was. It was simultaneously the worst thing I’ve been through and the best," Will said, gncing at all of his couch mates. Sarah noticed his gaze and thought to herself to ask about it ter.

  “Smells like dinner is almost ready. I’ll go check on it," Sarah said, giving Jeremy a peck on the cheek.

  “Smells great!” Will said, catching the delicious aroma wafting in the living room. “What’s on the menu?”

  “Nothing fancy, sagna and a green sad,” Sarah said in a slightly self-deprecating tone.

  “We’ve been eating emergency rations for weeks now; a home-cooked meal sounds fantastic,” June said earnestly.

  “Well, it’s done. Who wants to help me set the table?” Everyone got up and headed to the kitchen to help. In a flurry of movement and helping hands, the table was set in no time; even little Tara helped by putting the spoons on the table, although at odd angles to the rest of the silverware.

  Jeremy carried the tray of sagna, and Sarah brought the sad and wine, which were now chilled. Everyone sat, and then Sarah dished portions while Jeremy poured the wine. Tara got a cup of milk and smiled like a cherub.

  With everyone seated, Jeremy raised his gss of wine, “To good friends, old and new. Salute!” They all echoed his toast and sipped their wine. They chatted while they ate, mostly about the mundane comings and goings of the station, how busy and understaffed the maintenance shop was, and the like. Jeremy and Sarah exchanged gnces as Interface sipped her water but didn’t eat anything, and enjoyed the conversation nonetheless. As everyone finished up, little Tara’s head nodded as she sat in her booster chair, face covered in pasta sauce, sleepy from a hard day of py.

  “It’s time for bed, honey,” Sarah said, picking Tara up from her seat.

  “Not seepy,” Tara mumbled into Sarah’s shoulder, smearing sauce on her blouse.

  “I know,” Sarah said. With a contented maternal look, she carried the little one off to get washed up and into bed. June and Interface watched the two leave, smiling warmly.

  While Tara was being put to bed, the dishes were cleared from the table, washed, and put away, leaving only the half-full bottle of wine and gsses on the table. They had just finished cleaning up when Sarah returned.

  “Out like a light,” Sarah said with a soft smile, then took her seat next to Jeremy.

  “She is a sweetheart,” Interface said to Sarah and Jeremy.

  “Yeah, we’re pretty lucky,” Jeremy said. June caught an unspoken exchange between Sarah and Jeremy as they briefly looked at each other. For a brief moment, Sarah’s expression was of longing and want. Jeremy responded with a sympathetic look to his wife. The brief exchange ended, and then they turned to their guests.

  “Now we share stories over wine," Jeremy decred with a smile.

  “Okay then, you start," Will said, then after taking a sip of wine, “How did you two meet?”

  “I was working as a waitress at this little greasy spoon at the Peirault dockyards on Candorian Five," Sarah took hold of one of Jeremy’s hands, her small hand practically disappearing in his big paws. “One morning, Jeremy comes in with a bunch of his shipmates apparently after a heavy night's drinking, judging by their bleary expressions. They all ordered breakfast, but Jeremy couldn’t stop staring at me," Sarah smiled, remembering. “For the next two weeks, he sat at the same table every shift I was working, eating his meals alone, stealing gnces my way when he thought I wasn’t looking," Jeremy smiled.

  “She told me one morning, that if I continued to eat at that greasy spoon, morning, noon, and night, I would die of a coronary, and that if I wanted, she would cook me a proper meal. I immediately agreed, and we had dinner in her small one-room apartment that night," Jeremy reminisced.

  “We didn’t eat much dinner if I remember correctly,” Sarah said with a wide smile, “and for the next few weeks, while his ship was in dry docks, we were inseparable. Then his ship was ready and he shipped out for two months.”

  Jeremy continued, “It was the longest two months of my life. I couldn’t get her out of my mind. When I returned, she was waiting for me at the docks. I knew then I had to make her mine, so I stormed down the gangpnk, marched up to her, and asked her to marry me.”

  “It all happened so fast,” Sarah said, “but I knew that we were meant for each other. He found a post working as a junior maintenance engineer at the dockyard and moved into my little apartment. One of his shipmates, Bill, found his future wife, Tina, there too, and got a job working at the docks with Jeremy. The four of us became fast friends and spent a lot of time together.”

  June noticed another odd exchange of gnces between Jeremy and Sarah at the mention of their friends but didn’t say anything about it.

  “So how did you and Will first meet?” Interface asked Jeremy with a smile, deeply curious about their strong connection.

  Jeremy took a sip of his wine. “We were first-year cadets in the Academy together. We ended up assigned to many of the same csses; he has always been sharp as a tack, so we studied and worked together and became fast friends. On weekends, we would sneak off, and get into trouble in one bar or another, which usually ended up with us getting chased out, running and ughing drunkenly back to the Academy dorms," He smiled, took another sip of his wine, then continued.

  “There was one time when this drunk couple was yelling at each other, fighting loudly at a bar we frequented. Mister ‘White Knight’ over here,” Jeremy jerked his thumb in Will’s direction, “decided he was going to protect her honor and tried to stand up to this guy and break it up. The thing was, at the time, Will weighed a buck-twenty and this guy had four inches and a hundred pounds on him. But that didn’t faze him in the least," Jeremy ughed as Will covered his eyes with one hand in embarrassment.

  Jeremy continued. “The hirious thing was that the monster of a man knew it would be a completely one-sided fight, so he didn’t even acknowledge Will. But the woman, oh the woman was livid and started to beat the crap out of Will, punching and kicking like a wild thing. When she grabbed an empty bottle intending to smash it over his head, I rushed in, and hustled Will out of that bar, with the crazy woman chasing after us wielding that bottle for three blocks.”

  June and Interface smiled lovingly at Will, knowing that he was still that white knight at heart.

  “I saved his hide on more nights like that than I can count,” Jeremy said, then his tone grew serious, and deep emotion entered his voice. “But I’ll never be able to repay him for the time he saved mine.” Sarah gripped Jeremy’s elbow tight, supporting him as he continued his story.

  “We were on a short training voyage on one of the older vessels in the Academy’s fleet. The purpose was for all the students to get first-hand experience in the roles we would be expected to fill once we left the Academy. Both Will and I were assigned posts in engineering along with Joe Franklin, and I’ll never forget his name.” Jeremy was visibly bothered by the mention of the name, so Sarah squeezed herself closer to Jeremy.

  “Franklin was a bit of a bumbler, a kind kid, but he had no talent for engineering. His father was an admiral somewhere, so when Joe washed out of the naval officer’s training, he pulled some strings and got him fast-tracked into the engineering program. So the three of us were in engineering as the ship was performing maneuvers when I noticed the readings on a power coupler were way out of spec. I announced the issue, and Franklin shouted that ‘he had it’ and ran over to disengage it and reroute the power. But instead of disengaging it, he managed to shunt all the power through it.”

  Jeremy paused, sipped his wine, and took a deep breath. “As soon as he did, the thing exploded in his face, vaporizing him. That started a chain reaction, and soon, the entire engineering compartment was on fire, and the suppression system was completely unable to keep up. I managed to sound the general alert before I colpsed. The rest of the crew ran for the lifeboats, abandoning the ship as they were trained. A bit of heavy paneling fell and broke my left leg, pinning me there. I y on the floor of that burning engine room, knowing that this was going to be my end. Then this reckless asshole came jumping through the fmes, managed to slide the panel off me, and hoisted me up. He half carried, half dragged me to the nearest one-man pod and climbed in, dragging me with him. He punched the release button, and as we jettisoned away, the ship’s power core exploded.”

  Jeremy's tears streamed from his eyes, and everyone else around the dining room table had cheeks wet with sympathy.

  “I woke up in the hospital a few days ter, with burns all over my body and a leg in a cast, but I was alive. Will was in the bed next to mine, burnt up too. I knew I owed him my life.”

  The look Jeremy gave Will over the table was difficult to describe. It was gratitude, admiration, and ptonic love all rolled together. June watched the two and couldn’t help but be moved.

  “We were close as brothers from then on out, and I did my best to look after Will. After the Academy, we went our separate ways, but I never forgot what I owed him.”

  Sarah passed him a tissue and to anyone else who needed it. They had polished off one bottle of wine, so she fetched another and refilled everyone’s gss, then lifted her gss. “To Will, without whom, I would never have met my wonderful husband, and had the chance to meet his friends.” They all lifted their gsses and took a sip. June watched Will’s expression. His face shone with filial love for Jeremy, like a brother he never had.

  Downing that gss of wine and gesturing to Sarah for a refill, Jeremy said, “Enough talk about my past, what about you all?”

  “Right,” Sarah interjected. “So how did you all get together? I didn’t want to presume earlier, but you seem pretty close. That and those beautiful matching tattoos. I assume you’re some sort of polycule?” Sarah asked astutely.

  “Yeah, that’s as good a description as any,” Interface said. She then looked deeply into Jeremy’s eyes, then Sarah’s, giving them both the feeling of being evaluated. Her gaze rexed, and she seemed satisfied. “When Will and June crashed on that uncharted pnet, they found something they didn’t expect: me," she said, waiting a moment to gauge their reaction, then continued.

  “We fell in love, and through a couple of mishaps saved each other’s lives, resulting in the three of us Bonded together. Ben came around a short while ter and succumbed to my seduction and we Bonded as well.”

  “Bonded, like married?” Sarah asked, in both curiosity and concern for a yet unasked question.

  June chimed in. “Yeah, very much like being married, but also not quite. We are committed to each other, and in every sense of the word, are ‘married’, I guess, but our Bonding is more than that. It connects us physically, emotionally, and psychically as well. In most senses we are individuals, but we are also extensions of Interface.”

  “That’s an unusual name, Interface,” Jeremy said. “Sounds mechanical. I’ve noticed you’ve only drank water this evening. I didn’t want to bring it up, I thought we had blundered and you had a gluten sensitivity or something.”

  Interface’s ughter was musical. “To answer your st question first, I am not ‘gluten sensitive’, I just don’t need to eat. Drinking is mostly a way for me to blend in and participate. The answer to your first question, answers the rest. My name is Interface because I am the interface to our ship, the Nestia, and her crew," she gestured at Will, June, and Ben. “Through me, they are bonded to the ship, and the ship to them. It sounds forced using those terms, but it is a bond of love, an eternal pledge, like marriage.”

  Jeremy and Sarah bought time to process this revetion with a few sips of wine. Then Sarah asked, “Working with Station Administration, I deal with many different species, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of something like this. Many species do things that human culture wouldn’t deem normal, but this is a new one for me.”

  “That’s the question we’re seeking answers for, where did my race go?” Interface said, a hint of sadness in her tone. “You see, I was trapped on that pnet a long time before Will, June and Ben showed up. A very long time, more than several hundred thousand years. I don’t know exactly because I was asleep for most of it. They showed up and gave me a new lease on life. Now we’re going to try to find out what happened to my people. They were everywhere in the gaxy, and we had colonies on most habitable pnets, but now there seems to be no trace," Interface’s expression saddened, and June squeezed her shoulders to comfort her.

  “Well, I have lots of connections in the Station Administration and the Gactic Trade Association. I can make inquiries and search databases to see what I can find. If there’s information out there, I’ll find it,” Sarah said confidently.

  Interface cheered up at Sarah’s offer. “Really? Thank you so much! I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

  The timber of the conversation grew cheery once again. June looked at Jeremy and Sarah’s happy expressions at being able to help Interface find answers, so she asked what she thought would be in a line of happy inquiry.

  “Tara is a lovely child. Have you thought about giving her a little brother or sister?” June asked innocently.

  Jeremy and Sarah exchanged a gnce that was a mixture of sadness and oddly hope. Then, after a pause and a long sip of wine, Jeremy spoke. “Just after we got married, we tried for a long time to conceive. After about a year without any luck, we went to a fertility expert, and found that I have a genetic abnormality that makes me sterile.”

  The four on the opposite side of the table wore confused looks, so Jeremy continued as Sarah patted his arm. “Bill and Tina were close friends. Very close. We did almost everything together," Sarah encouraged him. “We even ‘pyed’ together. Sarah and I loved those two, and we were frequently intimate, Bill and Sarah, me and Tina, sometimes all of us together.”

  “Sound’s familiar, doesn’t it?” June said jokingly to Interface, who was smiling ear to ear at this point.

  “Sounds lovely,” Interface said.

  A little relieved at how they were taking it, Jeremy continued. “During one of our sessions, we mentioned my condition and our desire for a family. By this time Tina was already two months pregnant and touched by our plight. They talked it over and offered to have Bill impregnate Sarah so we could have a child, too. We were eted, and it brought the four of us closer than we had ever been. A few weeks ter, a pregnancy test confirmed that Sarah was pregnant, which we celebrated ‘enthusiastically’," Jeremy grinned at the memory. “We eventually got this posting here at Penrose, and Bill and Tina found employment and a home basically at the other end of the trade routes, so we parted ways as friends.”

  Sarah took over. “ We have been wanting to have another child for some time. When Jeremy said he had run into Will at work, the one man who meant the most to him, I thought it was another gift from the universe. When he told me he had invited you to dinner, and you accepted, I was over the moon.”

  Sarah gnced down at her wine gss, working up the courage to ask her question. “Would you help us conceive another child?” she said in a small, timid voice.

  Will was fbbergasted, his eyes wide in surprise, but June and Interface exchanged gnces indicating they had seen this question coming. Will found Sarah attractive, but his only reservations was how the details of his unique situation could harm the baby.

  “There wouldn’t be any complications, due to the Bond?” he asked Interface, needing reassurance.

  “I can personally attest that you are in perfect health and extremely virile,” Interface said with a devilish look at Will. “The Bond changes some aspects of your physicality but mostly amplifies. There wouldn’t be an issue in this case.”

  “And you wouldn’t have an issue with me making love to someone else? Impregnating someone else?” he asked both June and Interface, not wanting to hurt them.

  “You didn’t seem to mind when I made a date with that cute hostess, Diana. And as long as the partner is willing and the child is conceived in love, I’m all for it,” Interface said, smiling. June nodded along. “Bringing Light and Love to the universe is never wrong,” she said with finality.

  Will’s worried expression rexed, and he nodded. Seeing the acceptance in Will’s smiling face, Sarah hugged Jeremy, overwhelmed with emotion.

  “Can we try tonight? I’m ovuting," she said, almost giddy.

  “Ooh, dinner and a show,” Interface said, low and smoky.

  Sarah gulped down the rest of her wine, then stood up from the table, pulling Jeremy to his feet with her. She grabbed his face and pulled him down to meet her lips, giving him a passionate kiss. A breathless moment ter, she released him, holding his hands, her smile incandescent. “I love you so much, Jeremy. Thank you!” she said to him sweetly.

  She left her husband’s arms and practically skipped over to Will. “Thank you so much, Will. You already gave me my husband; I love that you are now going to give us a child.” She reached up and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and locking her wrists together. Will responded by grabbing her by the hips and pulling her close, feeling her body heat next to his.

  Sarah released the kiss and took Will’s left and Ben’s right hand. “Interface, June, do you mind if I borrow both of your boys? I’ve never had three men before.”

  June and Interface already had their arms around each other’s waist when they looked at each other and then to Ben, who wore that charming, dopey smile. “Think that’s a resounding yes,” Interface said with a smile.

  Sarah smiled, then led Will and Ben to the living room where Jeremy waited, sitting on the couch watching his wife make out with his friends. “Hello, my lover,” she said lovingly to Jeremy. “Can you and Will move the coffee table out of the way for me?”

  Jeremy smiled as he rose from the couch and said, “For you Baby, I’d move the stars," And gave her a long kiss. He forced himself away, wanting to linger on her lips, to do as he was bid.

  Will and Jeremy picked up the coffee table and carried it over to the far side of the room, leaving a big space on the soft, cushy carpet between the couch and the loveseat. Sarah went to a closet and returned with an armful of throw pillows, which she scattered on the floor. Then, she turned and said, “All right, boys, come here and line up for this soon-to-be Momma.”

  As Ben, Jeremy, and Will lined up shoulder to shoulder in front of Sarah, June and Interface took positions on the loveseat and swiftly stuffed their hands between the other’s thighs, pre-gaming before the main event.

  “I can’t wait to show you how wet I already am,” Sarah said to three men standing in front of her, pants already tenting. “But first I need to unwrap my presents.”

  Jeremy stood between Ben and Will, so Sarah unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it over his head, leaving his muscur chest bare. She slid her hands down his chest, enjoying the familiar feel of his well-defined, hairy pecs, and rubbed his skin as she wrapped her arms around his barrel, pressing her tits tight against him. Sarah moved her chest up and down ever so slightly, teasing her nipples through the fabric of her dress against the man she married.

  She stepped over to Will, giving him a seductive smile, slowly unbuttoning his shirt, and slid the button-up shirt off his shoulders. She traced his silver markings with her dainty fingers, stopping only when she got to the top of his pants. Then she leaned in close with her face almost touching his belt and slowly licked her way up the silvery pattern on his skin until she ended it by licking up his neck under his chin.

  Sarah walked over to the third of the trio, trailing her fingers across Jeremy’s broad chest, then stopped to stand before Ben. She looked him over in appreciation, then touched his cheeks, pulling him down for a kiss. It was slow and sensual, her tongue darting into his mouth to taste his tongue. As she held the kiss, her hands slid down over Ben’s shoulders, down to the bottom of his shirt, then she slowly pulled it up until the fabric of his shirt parted their linked lips, then Sarah pulled it the rest of the way, leaving his thin, wiry frame covered in silver markings, exposed for her viewing pleasure.

  She stepped back, admired her three-course meal, then slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders, letting it fall, pooling at her feet. Sarah then reached behind her back and untched her bra, which fell to the floor beside her dress.

  “Now, boys, don’t make me do all the work,” Sarah said, low and breathy. “Take off your pants for me.” All three smiled, then undid their belts and slid their pants and underwear down, their hard cocks springing out as their pants fell to the floor.

  Sarah slowly got to her knees on the soft carpet and, looking up through her shes, told them, “Now, bring those beautiful dicks over to me," She said with a scivious smile. The three nude men did as she asked, cocks hanging just in front of her face at eleven, twelve, and one o’clock.

  She reached up and held the base of Jeremy's hard cock tight as it pointed straight at her, then she slowly licked her lips then opened her mouth into a perfect ‘O’, sucking the head of his cock into her mouth. She bobbed her head on his shaft slowly, her tongue working up and down his length, then released her grip on his root, pleasuring him with just her mouth.

  Her hands didn’t stay idle long. As she continued to bob her head on Jeremy’s cock, with either hand, she reached for Will and Ben’s cocks, gripping them tight, pulling them to her face until she had a cock in her mouth and two others rubbing the sides of her face as her head moved back and forth.

  “Oh Baby, that’s so good,” Jeremy said, and as his wife had her way with their three cocks, he put his big hands on the small of Will and Ben’s backs and pressed them both into his wife, smothering her with man flesh.

  On the loveseat, Interface’s sundress and June’s pants were already gone, both of their bare asses free and avaible. Pulling Interface’s fingers out of her snatch, June dragged them up her body, letting Interface’s fingers, wet with the evidence of June’s desire, paint a wet line up her body to her mouth, which she then sucked clean. June continued to stroke Interface’s silver shaft as she got down onto her knees in front of Interface, mimicking Sarah, and took her silver rod straight down her throat in one go, pressing her nose to Interface’s pelvis.

  “You take my cock so good, June,” Interface said, holding the back of June’s head, pressing her as far down her rod as June could go. After a minute, June got deliciously light-headed and tapped Interface’s thigh, and she let June come up for air with a cough, sputtering saliva all over Interface’s crotch. With a fresh breath of air, June descended upon Interface’s cock again, now bobbing up and down vigorously, intending to make the silver girl cum hard in her throat.

  Sarah pulled her head back, letting Jeremy’s cock pop out of her mouth with a ‘shlurp’, letting it spring back and sp her in the face while she smiled up at him through her shes. Then took Will’s cock into her mouth while jacking Jeremy and Ben for a while, then she switched and sucked off Ben while jacking Will and Jeremy off. She alternated several more times, and it became a little game to her, each time dramatically letting their cocks pop out of her mouth and hit her in the face on the rebound.

  “Oh, my lovely boys, my pussy is drooling for you. I need you to fuck me; I need you to fuck me now," She demanded as she let go of their cocks and id back on the carpet, her head propped up on one of the many pillows on the floor. “I want… I want you in this order,” she panted, “Jeremy, Will, then Ben. Oh God, I want you all so much.” She spread her knees wide, showing them just how wet she was. The insides of her thighs were all slick with her moisture, and now on her back, her wetness ran down her slit, spilling over her perineum and her tight little asshole.

  Jeremy kneeled and rubbed the tip of his cock in her glistening folds, then drove into her deep and hard, causing her to moan loudly. “Come here, come here,” She urged Will and Ben, “I need your cocks, I need them!” They knelt beside her head, and she quickly grabbed their dicks with both hands, jacking one off while sucking the other, only to switch a moment ter to suck the other’s cock into her mouth while stroking the other, their cocks slick with her saliva.

  Jeremy started fucking his wife in earnest, pushing her knees up to her chest, every thrust causing her tits to jiggle up and down in time with his frantic rhythm. She was already so close to her climax that it only took Jeremy’s vigorous thrusting a minute to send her first orgasm crashing through her. She gripped the two cocks in her hands tight as she rode it out, then Jeremy grunted loudly as her clenching, twitching pussy drove him to his climax as well, shooting pulse after pulse of his ineffective seed into her. “ Oh yeah, Baby, that’s right. Cum in me, fill me up good," Sarah cried as Jeremy finally finished in her.

  “Will now, fuck me now, put a baby in me!” Sarah panted, needing more. Will and Jeremy switched pces, and Sarah quickly sucked Jeremy’s cock into her mouth, cleaning their combined cum from his length.

  On the loveseat, Interface held June’s head still so she could piston her cock in and out of June’s throat. “Oh June, my love, here it comes, take it all, TAKE IT!” Interface said loudly as she jammed June’s mouth down over her cock, driving it to the back of her throat, and pulsed a torrent of silvery cum straight into June’s stomach.

  Interface came and came and seemed like she would never stop; June had to back her head off Interface's pulsing length, causing her cheeks to puff with Interface’s emissions, so much that silver cum jetted out June’s nostrils and leaked past the seal of her lips on Interface’s dick, spraying onto Interface’s p and dribbling down June’s chin and running onto her tits.

  June’s eyes were wild with desire, and knowing that Interface had no refractory period, she stood up, swung around, and dropped her ass hard on Interface’s p, Impaling herself as deep as she could go. As she rode Interface’s still-hard cock, Interface reached around and gripped June tightly by her tits, squeezing them and pinching her nipples hard, making June squeal and gasp. Though June was lost in the chase for her next orgasm, Interface watched the four on the carpet in front of them, drinking in their pleasure as much as June’s and her own.

  Will lined up his cock to Sarah’s pussy, a mess already from Jeremy’s and her climaxes, then he pushed gently in, her pussy making lewd squelching sounds, until he was buried balls deep. He paused a moment to savor the beauty of the moment; Sarah beneath him, ready to receive his seed, to begin growing a new life, her sucking off Jeremy and Ben, all three in the throes of delight. Interface and June were on the loveseat, enjoying the show as much as each other.

  Sarah’s cried, “Fuck a baby into me!” and shook Will out of his short reverie and began thrusting slowly in and out of Sarah’s sopping wet pussy, loving the feel of her flesh beneath him and all around him. He found a steady rhythm, the sounds of his hips spping into her marking time. Sarah had already sucked him to a higher state of arousal, and as he rammed into her, watching her suck, lick, and jack off two other cocks, it pushed him over the edge.

  “I’m cumming! Oh, Sarah, I’m cumming!” Will grunted, then she wept and came again hard, pulsing on his cock. He came and came, shooting prodigious amounts into her depths, and she grabbed Jeremy and Ben’s cocks hard, unleashing their climax, and both blew their loads all over her face, covering her sweaty face with a torrent of pearly jism.

  Interface watched Will climax and colpse onto Sarah, and a few moments ter, she saw a tiny spark blink into existence at the center of Sarah’s core. “It’s so beautiful!” Interface said, weeping with joy, the beauty of the moment overwhelming her. “Sarah has conceived!” she said, her voice ragged with emotion.

  “Will, bring your dick up here, I need Ben to fuck my ass!” Sarah urged, still desperate for at least one more orgasm. As Will took Ben’s spot, kneeling next to Sarah’s mouth, Ben took his pce between Sarah’s wide-spread legs. Sarah sucked Will’s cock into her mouth, swirling her tongue along the bottom of his length, not allowing him time to soften. Then she resumed alternating her feltio in that same urgent back-and-forth rhythm.

  Ben grabbed Sarah’s ass from around her thigh and tilted her hips until her puckered backdoor, wet from all the cum running out of her pussy, was at the optimal angle. He pressed the soft mushroom head of his dick against her asshole, and she moaned loudly around the dick in her mouth. He pressed hard, and her tight ring of muscle loosed then opened, allowing his tip to enter with a pop, causing Sarah to gasp.

  Already well lubricated, Ben thrust hard into Sarah’s ass, then just as quick, pulled out, with just the tip still inside her. He set a fast incessant pace, driving Sarah quickly to the precipice, and as she screamed out her orgasm, she stuffed both Jeremy and Will’s cocks into her mouth, overcoming the st resistance of their orgasms. They both fired their loads into her mouth, filling it overflowing, their mixed cum running out of the corners of her mouth, down her chin, and onto her breasts in rivulets. Her quaking, fluttering asshole sent Ben over the edge, and he buried his cock deep into her ass and filled it with his seed.

  At that moment, June screeched as her orgasm took hold. Her back arched, and her body trembled, holding her breath with her mouth open in a wordless scream. June hung frozen there, an eternity in a moment, then the crest of her climax passed, and she colpsed backward into Interface’s arms.

  They floated, suspended in that moment, basking in the sweet afterglow. As they came down, Will gently kissed Sarah on the forehead, followed shortly by Ben. Then they rose to their feet and went to the couch, spent. June and Interface joined them, cuddling close, and watched Jeremy y beside Sarah, a hand on her stomach, a look of joy on his face.

  They all snuggled in the living room for a long while, tired and sweaty, basking in the warm afterglow of their exertions, fully sated. Interface closed her eyes and smiled as she bathed in the loving energy radiating from the group.

  Reluctantly, Sarah rolled to her side and said, “I don’t know about all of you, but I need a shower. And Tara is an early riser, so I should probably get some sleep," she said. They all agreed, taking showers two by two: Jeremy and Sarah, Will and June, Interface and Ben. As they waited their turn for the shower, they continued to hug and rub backs and bottoms, not wanting the glorious night to end.

  ****

  After the showers, the group drank orange juice and water in the kitchen.

  “The bed isn’t rge enough for six,” Sarah said with a small giggle, “If I bring you some bnkets, will you be okay in the living room?” She asked.

  “More than okay. I’ll have these three to sleep on," Interface said with a smirk. Then, holding both of Sarah’s hands, “Thank you for letting me be a part of that; it was beautiful.”

  “I loved it,” Sarah replied. “I have to ask you: Would it be okay if the baby called you ‘Auntie’? “

  Interface’s expression lit up brightly. “Oh, that would be beautiful!” She said, pulling Sarah close and hugging her tightly.

  Jeremy took Will’s hand and pulled him in for a hug. He released him, then put his big hands on Will’s shoulder. “Yet one more thing I owe you for," He said with an enormous smile.

  “It was literally my pleasure,” Will said jokingly with a warm smile.

  “I could tell,” Jeremy said, returning the smile. “So what’s next for you all?” He said, taking a sip of juice.

  “The interstelr ferry will be arriving in a few days so we need to get everything ready. We’re mostly ready, but there’s still a few more things we need to button up," Will answered.

  “You’re leaving so soon?” Sarah asked. “That session was so fucking hot, I was hoping to do that a few more times," She said with a wicked grin.

  Will looked at his family, and he saw their answers in their smiles. “We would love to spend the next couple of nights with you two before we leave.” At that, Sarah gathered everyone up in the kitchen in a big group hug. Even as the hormones wore down, their emotions were still high, and the euphoria of this momentous occasion seeped into their beings.

  After a few moments, Sarah kissed them all on the cheek, “We better get to bed," Sarah disappeared down the hallway momentarily, then returned with an armful of bnkets, handing them to Will and Ben. She gave them all another peck on the cheek, said goodnight, and, taking his hand, led Jeremy to their bedroom.

  June and Interface id out the pillows and bnkets in a comfortable nest, and the four of them id down, snuggling close, and all but the silver girl in the middle fell fast asleep. Interface repyed the day’s events in her mind as they y there in peaceful slumber, basking in the love and beauty she considered herself privileged to be a part of.

  ****

  Interface y among her lovers, enjoying the soft sounds of their slumber, when she heard the soft patter of small feet walking down the hallway to the living room. She looked up and saw little Tara examining the pile of her Mom and Dad’s friends sleeping on the floor. She had a serious look on her little face, trying to make sense of them.

  Interface clothed herself under the bnkets and carefully extricated herself from the tangled limbs of her lovers. Standing up, she walked over to the little one watching her and knelt so they were at eye level. “Good morning, Sweet One,” Interface said to Tara.

  “Mornin’," She replied with a yawn. Then she said, “Momma called you Auntie.” Interface smiled at the little girl.

  “That’s right. I’m your Auntie Inta," She said, with her heart full. “And sleeping over there are Auntie June, Uncle Will, and Uncle Ben.” Little Tara nodded knowingly as if to say, ‘Yes, that is correct.’

  “Are you hungry? Do you want to go make some breakfast?” Interface asked. A big smile erupted on the little girl’s face, and she nodded vigorously. Interface took Tara’s small hand and led her to the kitchen.

  Interface rifled through the fridge and found eggs and bacon, a loaf of bread in the breadbox on the counter, and cinnamon on the spice rack. “Do you want to help me make French toast and bacon for everyone?” Tara smiled and nodded her head.

  Interface put a chair next to the counter for Tara to stand on. Then, Interface showed her how to crack an egg and mix up the egg wash. Fifteen minutes and a few eggs smashed on the counter ter; they had a growing stack of French toast and a pile of crispy bacon.

  Interface set Tara up in her booster seat, cut a few pieces of French toast into small bites, and gave her some bacon and a cup of milk. The smells of breakfast woke the sleepers and drew them to the kitchen. Sarah and Jeremy shuffled down the hallway from their bedroom to find Tara smiling widely at them, stuffing bites of French toast in her mouth and chewing gleefully.

  “Momma,” Tara said with a mouthful, “I made bench toast," Sarah smiled and nodded. “Auntie Inta helped," little Tara said, stuffing another bite-sized piece in her mouth.

  “Smells like you did a good job, Tara,” Sarah said, kissing her on the head, then smiled at Interface.

  “Got enough for everyone. Go ahead, dig in," Interface said, handing ptes full of French toast and bacon to Sarah and Jeremy.”

  “Thanks," they both said, giving her a hug around the waist and a peck on the cheek. Sarah grabbed two ptes and handed one to Jeremy, and they filled their ptes with the fruits of Tara and Interface’s bor. Then they went to the table, sat with Tara, and enjoyed their breakfast, watching the syrup smear on Tara’s face grow with each bite.

  June, Will, and Ben dressed under the bnkets in the living room and were handed their ptes of breakfast when they joined them at the table.

  “So what’s on the docket for today?” Jeremy asked between bites of bacon.

  “We need to install the temporary transponder, so we’ll probably end up spending most of the day doing that,” Will said. “I’d like to head back to the Nestia as soon as everyone has eaten.”

  Wiping her mouth with her napkin, June smiled at Sarah and asked, “I’d like to cook dinner for you tonight if that’s alright?”

  “That would be wonderful,” Sarah replied. “I’ll take any break from kitchen duty that I can get.” She said with a smile.

  June asked, “Interface, do you want to go to the market with me to pick some stuff up?”

  “That would be fun, I’d love to," the silver girl said.

  Jeremy took a big sip of coffee and then set it down. He said to Will, “Do you want a hand with the transponder? I’m on call but don’t have to go to the shop today.”

  Will looked at Interface, who gave him an imperceptible nod. “Sure thing. I’d love to show you around the Nestia. She’s something else.”

  They finished breakfast and cleared the ptes, and Sarah washed Tara’s face, who seemed to wear as much of her meals as eat them.

  Everyone kissed Sarah and Tara on the cheek as they paraded past, though Jeremy stopped, looked deeply into her eyes, and gave Sarah a long and meaningful kiss, his hand straying to her belly.

  “Shoo, get going," she said, disentangling herself from his embrace. “The sooner you finish up, the sooner you’ll get home." Jeremy smiled, then followed the others out of the apartment.

  In the hallway, they pressed the button for the lift and only needed to wait a moment before the doors opened. The five of them squeezed into the lift, which was meant for four, and then Ben, closest to the control panel, pressed the button for the lobby. As they descended, June and Interface sidled up close to Jeremy.

  “You know, we didn’t get to have you at all st night,” Interface said as they both grabbed a handful of his ass cheek. “Let’s py tonight," she purred. She watched his cock stir in his pants, then rubbed it with an open palm through his clothes.

  “I swear elevators are Interface’s favorite pces,” Ben said jokingly from the front of the lift.

  “You’re only jealous that Will and I always beat you to the punch,” June replied with a smile.

  “Simply Insatiable,” Will said with a big grin, not wanting it any other way.

  The door opened, and they made their way out of the apartment building and through the lobby onto the street. The tram was near the middle of the station's central cylinder, so they waited at a crosswalk for the signal to cross the busy traffic way.

  The group waited next to two older women, perhaps in their sixties, who had just come from the same apartment building as the group and were chatting away, oblivious to their arrival.

  “The oddest thing happened st night, Myrtle," said one dy to the other.

  “What’s that Phyllis?” the other asked in reply.

  “Last night, I was working on my macrame, like I always do after dinner, and a wave came over me, and I got all hot and bothered like I haven’t in a very long time. Then Arthur comes bursting in from his Study and says, ‘Woman, I need you, NOW,.’’ Phyllis said, mimicking her husband in a fake deep voice. “Then we proceeded to go at it like we were teenagers. We haven’t done that in years," Phyllis said.

  “Oh, my,” Myrtle excimed. “That’s funny; the same thing happened to Everett and me. One moment, we were sitting there watching the evening news. The next thing you know, he’s dragging me down to the bedroom, and we’re doing the ‘horizontal hokey-pokey’ for the next two hours," Myrtle paused, then smiled. “I hope it happens again tonight.”

  “You’re awful,” Phyllis said, spping her friend’s shoulder pyfully, then added. “Me too.”

  Hearing the conversation between the two old dies, Ben leaned over and whispered into Interface’s ear. “That’s your ‘fuck-me’ field’s fault," he said with a smile. “Spreading joy and happiness through the Universe, one ‘Horizontal hokey-pokey’ at a time," Interface smiled and shrugged her shoulders innocently at Ben as if to say, ‘Who me?’.

  The traffic stopped as the signals indicated it was safe to use the crosswalk, so they made their way across and to the tram. It arrived in a few minutes, and then they boarded, standing and holding the handrails overhead for the short ride. At the next stop, June and Interface got off and, with several kisses on the cheek, headed to the nearby market.

  Will, Ben, and Jeremy rode the tram for a few stops until they reached the one near the station arm where the Nestia was berthed. They crossed the open space full of potted pnts and benches, and as they walked to the entrance to the arm, Commander Michaels, the station security chief, spotted them from a nearby bench, apparently waiting for them. He got up and intercepted them before they could enter the arm corridor.

  “Good morning, I’m Commander Michaels. I met your friends yesterday after the incident in front of the little cafe," he said to Will. “I was wondering if I could speak to you for a few minutes.”

  The three men wore puzzled looks on their faces, wondering why Michaels would stop them, Ben with added anxiety that his past was catching up with them.

  Will stepped up and did the talking. “Sure thing, Commander Michaels. I’d love to know what I could help you with," Will said in a subtle tone, hoping Interface, who was usually listening in over comms, would pick up.

  She did and said over the comms earpiece, “Will, we did speak with the Commander yesterday. He seemed to be a straightforward, honor-bound man. He’s very observant, so be careful.”

  As the Station Security Chief, Will knew that the commander was responsible for the safety and security of Penrose Station and would likely prioritize the well-being of the station over that of his family. He would have to tread lightly.

  Michaels gestured for them to sit on the set of benches he had been sitting on and sat on the opposite bench facing them.

  “So let me start by saying this interview is not currently part of any official investigation," He paused, about to reveal something that made him extremely uncomfortable. “Recent events have demonstrated that station security is not at the level it needs to be, as was demonstrated yesterday. My security and I failed to catch and stop the sve trafficking through this station," He paused for a moment.

  “If it hadn’t been for your friends yesterday, those thirty-six people would have been shipped off to God only knows what fate. And therein lies my biggest problem, someone executed those four men, who were our only leads. We interviewed all of the victims, and all of them were taken by surprise when they were kidnapped, saw no one, and had no information. We checked security feeds from all the locations where they were taken. They were pnned well, camera coverage was spotty, and each point of abduction was in a camera dead zone. Their exit paths skirted the cameras, so a review of the footage turned up nothing.”

  He waited a moment, watching their faces for some sign, then he continued. “So now you and your friends are the only loose ends to tug on. When I spoke with them yesterday, they may or may not have lied to me, but I am certain they were not telling me the whole truth.” When the Commander said that, he saw the confirmation he was looking for on Will’s face.

  “So tell me, Mr. Foucault, what exactly are you and your friends hiding? I guarantee that at the very least, you will not be catching that ferry until I am satisfied.” The Commander’s threat hung in the air momentarily while Will considered their options.

  The Commander had him over a barrel and the authority to impound the Nestia. Well, try to impound her. Will doubted that Interface would allow that. His options were to either bst their way out and make a run for it, making them permanent outws, or trust this seemingly honorable man with some of their secrets.

  Will looked into Commander Michaels's eyes, and he saw a man struggling to fulfill his duty and keep safe those he swore to protect. The sentiment resonated with Will, and he made up his mind. He would have to gamble that the commander would find a way to protect his Station and Will’s family at the same time.

  “Commander, can I trust you?” Will asked.

  “Yes, of course, I’m an officer of the w," the Commander replied coolly.

  “I’m not asking the security chief of this station, but Michaels, the man," Will crified. He watched as Michaels’ posture shifted slightly. “My family is in a unique and potentially dangerous circumstance, and I need to protect my family. So I’ll ask you again: can I trust you?”

  The Commander paused, taken aback at the suggestion that he might not act honorably or do what was right. Then he said slowly, “You can trust me with your family’s safety, so far as they don’t jeopardize the safety and well-being of this station.”

  Will considered his response. He would likely respond simirly if he were in the Commander’s shoes. “All right, Commander. I will try to answer your questions as best I can. But it would be easier to show you than to tell you. Come with us to our ship, and I’ll answer everything I can.”

  The Commander considered the situation. He truly was alone today and not on official business. It would be easy to ambush and dispose of him aboard their ship. However, everything about his interactions with this group told him that would not be the case.

  “Alright,” Michaels said. “Let’s talk on your ship and then you can help me understand.” With that, the Commander stood and gestured for Will and company to lead the way.

  Will, Ben, Jeremy, and Commander Michaels walked down the green-painted walkway of the station arm until they came to slip 47A. They then navigated through the small zero-G field and stood at the seamless side of Nestia’s hull. Without a word, the airlock door melted open, causing the Commander to raise one eyebrow, and the four men entered.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d prefer to leave the airlock door open," the Commander requested, still wary of the compromising position he was putting himself in.

  “Sure, that’s not a problem,” Will said, understanding the Commander’s anxiety, then he gestured to one of the couches in the faux shuttle’s sitting area.

  Jeremy looked around the interior of the ship and was extremely curious. He had never seen a shuttle like this before and was dying to ask a million questions but held back, waiting to see how everything with the Commander pyed out.

  Will, Ben, and Jeremy sat uncomfortably on one couch while the Commander sat stiffly on the opposite couch, facing them.

  “So what would you like to know, Commander?” Will asked, trying to keep his tone even.

  “Several things. There were a few peculiarities that stuck out to me when I talked to your friends yesterday. And when things don’t make sense, that’s usually where the problem is. The first one, the most obvious, is your silver friend. I’ve held a lot of posts all over the trade network stations, big and small. I’ve seen some things, but I’ve never met anyone like her. What’s her story?”

  On cue, Interface walked into the sitting area from the bunk room, barefoot and wearing her white and blue floral sundress. “Hello, Commander," she said, then sat down next to Will.

  “This is Interface," Will began, his tone conveying complete honesty. “She is the beating heart of this ship, and not in a figurative sense, but literally. She is a construct that controls every function of this ship and serves as the ship’s interface for the crew, hence her name," Will expined.

  “You mean she’s some sort of AI computer program? I’ve never seen one so sophisticated before," the Commander said, watching Interface closely, marveling at her.

  “No, not a computer program. A real person. At one time flesh and blood, then was migrated into the ship’s control matrix," Will expined, trying not to get into the details.

  Will waited while he watched Michaels’s face as he processed this information. His expression showed signs of doubt and disbelief, which conflicted with his sense that he was being told the truth.

  Michaels struggled to fit the pieces together and decided to y his cards on the table. “That brings me to my issue. The story that you gave the Space Patrol and Portmaster doesn’t make sense. You and Ms. Harding were on a freighter delivering goods to the Brazo System. You told them that you shipwrecked on an uncharted pnet, and led them to believe that this shuttle was among the things you were able to salvage," Michaels said, then waited for an expnation.

  “We told the Bourdan Space Patrol and port authority that we had been shipwrecked, and that we salvaged some rad-batteries and escaped being marooned with this ship, which was true.”

  Will paused, knowing he would have to fess up to lying to the portmaster. “When the portmaster asked about the ship and where it came from, I told him that it was an experimental craft and I was under an NDA; that was not true," Will paused, and Interface put her hand on his thigh in support. “The truth is that this is not an experimental craft but one that has already seen many years of service.”

  The Commander raised one eyebrow, trying to understand what Will was having difficulty saying.

  Will continued. “The reason no one has seen a ship like this before is that it is extremely old, and I mean ancient. Hundreds of thousands of years, if not older," Will was reluctant but kept going. “When we crashed, we found the Nestia on that uncharted pnet, and managed to revive her and Interface.”

  “They saved my life. I was dying, and they brought me back," Interface said, interrupting Will.

  “And we’ve been dodgy because I knew that if people found out, they would want to take Interface and the ship apart to figure out how they work,” Will confessed. “We may have saved Interface, but she also saved us. We love her, and will do anything to protect her," Interface smiled at Will’s procmation of love and squeezed him tight.

  As improbable as it was, the Commander could see they believed what they told him was true. He was crossing into uncharted territory, and as big a reveal this was, the far-reaching ramifications of what it meant were beyond his ability to say. But his main concern remained with the Station, and he still had more questions.

  After the brief silence, while he composed his thoughts, Michaels asked, “The other thing that doesn’t add up is exactly how you were able to detect those people in the crates. Every one of those was thoroughly scanned at the port of entry before they were brought onto the station, and no one saw anything. Afterward, we tested the containers and found that they were impervious to scans for heat signatures. Your friends told me that they saw the victims’ IR signatures," he said with an accusatory tone, revealing that he knew that he had been lied to.

  “At the time, would you have believed us if we told you the truth?” Interface said defensively. “That we detected the auras of those people in the containers? Because that’s exactly what happened. As we were sitting in that cafe, we saw the auras of the people trapped in them and then did what we had to do," she said, a little aggressive now, challenging the Commander’s assumption that he was correct to suspect them of wrongdoing.

  “You can detect people’s auras?” he asked, no longer doubting the weirdness of the situation but taking it at face value.

  “Yes,” Ben chimed in, and with a fsh of insight, said, “and we can build you a prototype and provide schematics so you can upgrade your security so that this can’t happen again.”

  Ben surmised correctly that this was the Commander’s chief concern and that offering to help lent them credibility in Commander Michael’s eyes.

  “You would share this tech? At what cost?” The Commander’s suspicions again rose to the forefront.

  “The people responsible are the worst scum imaginable. I would stamp them out myself if I could. Whatever we can do to help, we will,” Interface said; the intensity in her voice took the Commander by surprise. Then she added, “Not because we’re looking for profit, but because it’s the right thing to do. We’ll just give it to you.”

  That surprised the Commander. Most people were motivated by profit in one form or another, but these people seemed different, somehow. His opinion of them shifted, and the puzzle finally made sense again.

  Michaels thought carefully about how to proceed. They were offering him a way to strengthen his ability to protect the Station, and they only asked to be left alone in return. Weighing his options, he came to a decision.

  “As crazy as your story sounds, I believe you. I must protect the Station and the people on it, and the aid such as you are offering would help immensely," The Commander finally relented.

  Looks of relief spread over everyone’s faces as the Commander backed off. Will got serious again. Then pressed the Commander. “We have been forthcoming with every question you have asked. I need to ask you, does this mean you will protect the privacy of my family? Their safety is as important to me as this station’s safety is to you.”

  “I will honor your request in light of everything you have shared here today," The Commander conceded.

  “That’s great, thank you. We’ll give the prototype scanner and schematics to Jeremy, who can then deploy it where you need them most," Will said.

  “We also need to ask a favor of you,” Will said, causing the Commander's eyebrow to raise once again. “Two actually. First, a warning needs to go out to the Gactic Turnpike Authority that pirates have spoofed the Gactic Positioning System beacons in the region and are diverting freighters. Some sort of naval response is needed. People are flying into danger blindly out there and we need to stop it.”

  The Commander nodded solemnly. “I’ll send a message up the chain right away.”

  “And second, we need to get a message to the Peirault Shipping Company letting them know that the ‘Saturn’s Heart’ was lost due to pirates and that we are on our way to their headquarters to return the transponder. The Bourdan Space Patrol said that we’ve already been decred lost, and we need to let them know that we survived," Will said, knowing that the Commander wasn’t obligated to help in civilian matters.

  “I can do that, too. Considering the tech you are giving freely to bolster station security, it’s the least I can do," Michaels said with genuine appreciation.

  Then Will added, “On another note, those svers seemed to have been painting their victims to look an awful lot like the members of my family. I’m worried that there might be a connection or they might want retribution of some sort. Can I count on you to give me a heads-up if you find anything that might endanger my family?” Will asked.

  “Definitely. The more allies we have in this, the better," the Commander said, finally smiling, though his expression quickly shifted back to seriousness. “It feels like there is trouble brewing, and it’s good to have someone to stand shoulder to shoulder with while facing it.”

  Will stood and offered his hand to the Commander. “I’m honored that you consider us an ally.”

  The Commander stood and accepted Will’s outstretched hand. “Same here," he said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get these messages out and have other matters that need my attention. Thank you again for your honesty and help. I wish you safe travels," And with that, the Commander left through the open airlock door.

  Interface waited a minute, then sealed the door, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

  “That went a lot better than I thought it would," Will said, finally rexing after the Commander’s ‘chat’.

  “I like him," is all interface said, but Will suspected he knew what she meant.

  “Insatiable,” he said, smiling while shaking his head.

  Jeremy sat on the couch, fbbergasted at everything he had just learned. As he sat there, trying to sort everything out in his mind so it made sense, he suddenly realized. “Wait a minute. Interface, weren’t you supposed to be at the market with June?”

  “I am with June,” Interface said with a smirk.

  Jeremy looked at her bnkly, not getting it. So she helped him out. As he was trying to formute what he wanted to say, another Interface came sashaying out of the bunk room and put her arm around the waist of the first Interface. His eyes just about bugged out of his head. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, but two silver girls were still standing in front of him.

  “How, how is this possible?” he asked in a stammer. His day kept getting weirder and weirder.

  “I’m great at multitasking," the second Interface said.

  Ben and Will both shook their heads in amusement at the fun Interface was having at Jeremy’s expense. Then the silver twins plopped down on the couch, one side of him and the other. They ran their fingers through his hair, rubbed his chiseled chest, and both stroked the inside of his thighs.

  “I am much more than just these bodies you see here. A rge portion of my being resides in a six-dimensional crystal ttice that lets me control the ship and as many physical instantiations as I need," the Interface on Jeremy's left said.

  “Six dimensional crystal? Multiple instantiations?” Without context, Jeremy struggled to make sense of any of it. “Can you expin it in simple terms?”

  “It’s a lot to take in. I know," Ben comforted Jeremy. “Not too long ago, I was sitting in your seat, trying to get someone to expin it to me without sounding like it came from a lunatic. The Nestia is more than just a unique ship; it defies what you think is possible." Jeremy looked at him expectantly.

  “This ship and Interface are old, ancient really. Her race developed technology and traveled the stars long before humanity started stacking stones into pyramid shapes. Take the ship for instance, by all appearances, it looks like a seventy-meter shuttle, right?”

  “I suppose you're now going to tell me that it’s not,” Jeremy said, sitting between two Interfaces, on the edge of ready to believe anything.

  “That’s right," the Interface on his left said. “I think it’s time for a proper tour," said the one on his right. Taking him by the arms, the silver twins walked Jeremy over to where Ben was standing, then opened the door to the rest of the ship. Jeremy poked his head out into the port side hallway that ran on much longer than the dimensions of the shuttle should allow.

  “Huh. Six dimensional, you say," Jeremy muttered as he allowed the Interfaces to lead him through the doorway to the rest of the ship, followed closely by Ben and Will.

  They gave Jeremy the grand tour. They stopped by the bridge, and he marveled at the viewport and general yout. They brought him down to the hangar, showing him the shuttle and pods. Then they brought him to Engineering and showed off the power core as it thrummed with its deep resonance. Then the pair of Interface’s brought him to the Crystalline Matrix room.

  As the lightning that was Interface danced in the crystal, Jeremy stood there, mesmerized, watching the light show. As he studied the matrix with a silver girl on either arm, he had a sudden epiphany: “The matrix is a fractal, isn’t it?” he said to Interface.

  “Very astute. Except the fractal doesn’t just exist in the 3-D space; it stretches out into the fourth, fifth, and sixth spatial directions,” She said.

  “And you reside in the crystal but also in these bodies,” he said, starting to get comfortable with the concept. The Interface copies stood on either side of Jeremy as he examined the crystal, with an arm around each of their waists, and they both had an arm around his.

  “Think of it like a hand in a glove, one hand, many fingers," the Interface on his right said that they both rubbed his back and shoulders, their hands drifting slightly lower. “I am in the matrix and extending myself into these lovely shapes next to you. And currently with Sarah and June. By the way, Tara is napping, and we’re being naughty," she said in a mischievous tone.

  Jeremy’s face said he was coming to terms with the strangeness he found himself amongst. “So, what do you think of the ship?” Will asked Jeremy, pcing a hand on his shoulder as he stood behind one of the Interfaces, pcing a hand on her hip.

  “Absolutely astounding. You’ll have to expin how everything works one of these days," Jeremy said, his eyes sparkling with wonder.

  “I expect you would be a wonderful pupil,” Interface said suggestively, massaging one of his ass cheeks.

  “She has an excellent educational motivation regimen,” Will said, spping Jeremy on the back with a smile.

  “Which you won’t get to experience unless we get everything done that we came here for. So let’s get a move on," Interface said. The Interface on Jeremy’s left reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “Wish we had more time to py," she said with a fake pout. “I’ll just have to wait until tonight," this Interface gave him a quick wink, then shrank away to nothing and disappeared.

  The remaining Interface led them to where she had left the transponder, and they got to work installing it.

  ****

  Working together, the four of them installed and made the transponder operational in just a couple of hours. They took a quick lunch break, and Interface insisted on blow jobs for everyone since they all got to eat, and she did not. They decided it was better not to argue against her logic, mostly because Interface usually got what she wanted anyway.

  After lunch, they reviewed Interface’s design for June’s repcement eye and found that with very little alteration, it could be adapted to upgrade the station's port-of-entry scanners. They added manual controls for filtering the various signals and designed a new enclosure for the internal components, deciding that eyeballs fitted everywhere in the station would creep everyone out.

  They completed their work a little te, pushing into dinner time, but Interface told them that June and Sarah put dinner off a little bit and it would be ready when they returned to the apartment.

  Jeremy packed up the prototype and the schematics, and they all left the Nestia together and headed down the green-colored path of the Station arm. When they reached the entrance to the central cylinder, Interface gave Will, Ben, and Jeremy each a hug and a kiss and told them she would see them when they got back to the apartment.

  As they walked to the tram, Will and Ben expined to Jeremy about Interface’s other pns for tonight. He shrugged his shoulders, fully accepting the strangeness. They boarded and waved to Interface through the tram window as it sped away.

  The busy bustle of the station was winding down for the day; fewer trucks with cargo were rolling past, and foot traffic was a fraction of what it was earlier. Interface walked the short distance to the little cafe and found Diana waiting outside, still wearing her white shirt and bck pants from work. The young, twenty-something brunette looked nervously at her watch before she saw Interface. When she spotted Interface, her expression immediately brightened, and she walked over to meet her halfway.

  “Hi, Interface,” Diana said shyly.

  “Hi, Diana. How are you? Work okay?” Interface asked.

  “Yeah, I’m good. Work was fine," Then, looking down self-consciously at her uniform, she said, “Sorry, I didn’t have time to change; I needed to work a little ter to cover for someone.”

  “Oh, that’s fine. I only have this one dress; we’re both wearing the same thing as yesterday," Interface joked.

  “But it looks good on you,” Diana said, face blushing.

  “You look lovely too. It’s fine, really. I want to get to know you, not your clothes,” Interface said, trying to put the brunette at ease.

  “Thanks,” Diana said, finally rexing. “I didn’t have a real pn for tonight, I thought we’d just go have a drink and hang out,” she said as if asking for forgiveness.

  Interface found the young woman to be sweet in an innocent sort of way. “That sounds great. I don’t know my way around the station, why don’t you lead the way.”

  “Okay. I sometimes go to this quiet little bar down near the end of the cylinder. I think it would be a nice pce to chat,” Diana said, still waiting for approval.

  “Perfect, lead on Madam!” Interface said with a smile.

  As they walked side by side, Interface reached down and took Diana’s hand in hers. Interface smiled at Diana, and she returned it.

  Hand in hand, fingers interced, Interface said, “So I think the way we’re supposed to begin a date is with proper introductions. I’m Interface, and you are…?” she asked.

  “Diana, eh, Diana Davis," the shy hostess said.

  “So Diana Davis, where are you from originally? I assume you weren’t born on the station.” Interface asked.

  “No, I was born pnetside in a little town called Hunter’s Glen. It’s about an hour and a half outside of Cameron, a middle-sized city where most of the folks from around there go for work. There’s some light industry, a few factories here and there, and a university, but mostly retail stores and the like," Diana said.

  “Did you go to university there? Tell me everything, I want to know all about you," Interface asked, fascinated at what a ‘normal’ life might look like.

  “I did two semesters in their art program, then got the crazy idea that I wanted to go see the gaxy. Oh, here we are. The Starside Bar and Grill," Diana said, briefly cutting off her story as they arrived at their destination.

  The Starside seemed to be busy tonight, with most of the tables full of patrons, so they went in and sat down at two empty stools at the bar.

  “What’ll ya have?” the burly bartender asked. He was mostly bald but still wore the remaining hair in a ponytail. He had a kind face and an easy smile, which is exactly what you might expect from a bartender.

  “A margarita, please. Do you have Paxian tequi?” Diana requested.

  “Yup," the bartender answered monosylbically.

  “Make that two,” Interface said, handing him Ben’s crypto stick, which he had given her earlier for her date.

  “Coming right up,” he said, then went off to mix the drinks.

  “So you were talking about your crazy idea to see the gaxy?” Interface prompted.

  “Yeah, so after two semesters of art css, I felt I had all the technical skills since I had been drawing and painting for most of my life, but I cked inspiration. I felt I had lost my connection to the Muse. So I saved up a little bit of money, dropped out, and boarded the first flight to the Station, thinking that I would hop the next ferry to somewhere exotic and exciting. I got here and realized how expensive interstelr travel was, and kinda got stuck here," Diana said, in a slightly defeated tone, accepting of her lot.

  The bartender returned with their drinks, handed the crypto stick back to Interface, and then turned to wash gsses further down the bar.

  “But on the bright side, I still get to meet lots of interesting people that pass through the station, people on their way to one pce or another,” Diana said, with a furtive smile at Interface.

  “Like the gaxy is coming to see you," Interface said cheerfully.

  “Yeah, something like that," Diana took a big sip of her drink. “So that’s a lot about me. What’s your story?” She said, deflecting from talking about her small life anymore.

  “Well, I used to have a big family, lots of love. Our home was always a hive of activity, with people all over the pce, and there was never a quiet moment. In a good way, I mean," Interface said, crifying.

  “We would travel the gaxy, investigating new worlds, finding pces no one had been before. It was exciting and I was constantly surrounded by people I loved. Then we were investigating this one pnet, tragedy struck and I lost them all. I was alone for a very long time afterward. There were times I couldn’t even wake up. Then one day, new people came and breathed life back into my universe. Now I’m traveling again, with the people I love, meeting new and interesting people,” Interface smiled and nudged Diana, “and the universe is opening back up for me.”

  Diana smiled at Interface’s story, staring into her light blue glowing eyes, bewitched. She gulped down the rest of her drink, then said, “You want to go for a walk? I want to show you one of my favorite pces to hang out.”

  “Sure, let’s go," Interface agreed, finishing her drink. She followed Diana out, and they resumed holding hands as they walked.

  “It’s not far, just around this corner,” Diana said, smiling. They turned a corner and climbed the set of wide stairs they found there, and at the top was a wide, empty viewing gallery. A few rows of bleachers were looking out through an enormous viewport at the very end of the central cylinder walls in a semi-circle like an amphitheater. The view was stunning; the pnet rotating below and a magnificent view of the stars beyond the horizon were on prominent dispy. “This is probably my favorite spot in the entire Station. I often come here and watch the stars. Sometimes, I bring my sketch pad and draw the scene.”

  They sat close together on the bleachers, looking out to the vista beyond the viewport for a long while without speaking. Interface watched Diana stare out the viewport, admiring her. She looked at the stars with a slightly wistful look of longing, which enhanced her natural beauty.

  Interface broke the silence. “It’s a shame more people don’t come and watch the stars here. It’s beautiful.”

  Diana looked shyly over to Interface and said, “So are you," putting a hand on Interface’s bare arm and sliding a little closer.

  Interface put her hand on the small of Diana’s back. “It’s meeting people like you, so full of life and beauty, that makes life worth living.”

  Diana blushed at being called beautiful. “Sometimes it doesn’t seem beautiful, my life that is," She corrected herself, not wanting to contradict Interface. “It sometimes seems like a meaningless grind. Get up, go to work, go home, go to bed, then do it again the next day.”

  Interface leaned back on her hands. “Oh, it is. Life can be hard. The universe is a chaotic mix of bnd and exciting, good times and hard, ugliness,” Interface tucked a loose strand of hair behind Diana’s ear “...and beauty. We just need to focus on the beauty, and everything will work out.”

  Diana smiled at Interface and was quiet for a moment. She reached over, held Interface’s hand, and asked, “Would it be alright if I gave you a kiss?”

  Interface smiled. “I would like that a lot.”

  Diana shifted in her seat and slowly leaned over to Interface. Her eyes closed, and she pressed her warm lips to Interface’s. Then, she wrapped an arm around the silver girl and held her tight. Interface returned the kiss and gentle embrace, and after a moment, Diana pulled back from the kiss but continued to hold Interface close.

  They watched the stars for another half hour until Diana said, “I think it’s time to head home. I’ve got to work in the morning.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” Interface said with a sad smile, wishing for more time.

  They walked hand in hand back to Diana’s apartment building, silent but smiling. When they arrived, Diana said, “Well, this is me." She was torn about how to proceed.

  Interface touched Diana’s cheek softly. “Thank you for a wonderful evening. It was beautiful.”

  Diana leaned in and gave Interface a short, chaste kiss, but one full of feeling. “I had a good time, too." She paused for a moment, then said brightly, thinking of something. “Wait here for just a minute,” she said, then ran inside the building. Diana returned moments ter, slightly out of breath, carrying a small cylinder. “For you. I want you to have it so that you will think of me whenever you look at it.”

  Interface screwed the top off and slid out the rolled parchment inside. Unrolling it, she saw that it was a sketch of the view from the viewing ptform, looking out at the stars in pastel chalk. It fwlessly captured the majesty and beauty of the scene. “This is gorgeous, thank you so much!” she said, pulling Diana into an embrace and gently kissing her.

  As Interface rolled Diana’s art up and put it safely into its cylinder, Diana asked, “Are you leaving soon?”

  “In two days,” Interface answered, a hint of longing in her voice. Seeing Diana’s indecision, she said, “Oh my Sweet Diana, this was enough. It was a perfect evening. Beauty and Light come in many fvors. I wouldn’t have changed tonight for the world.”

  Diana smiled, then gave Interface one more kiss. “Goodbye, Interface. I hope our paths cross again.”

  “Me too,” Interface replied. Then she watched until Diana disappeared into her apartment building.

  Interface let out a big sigh and basked in the fresh memory of her date this evening. “Just Beautiful,” she said with a contented smile, then began her walk back to the ship, cradling her gift in her arms. As she walked, she smiled at the thought of how extremely lucky she was to find so many wonderful people to love and who loved her.

  She thought about how lucky she was that she could experience a wonderful chaste evening with a beautiful woman while simultaneously, halfway across the station, she was engaged in a beautiful, debauched session of steamy sex with other people she loved dearly. Then, a phrase about having cake and eating it too, which she had picked up from June and Will, passed through her thoughts. She really did have it all.

  ****

  Early the next morning, as Interface cuddled amongst her sleeping lovers, she heard a door open down the hallway, followed by a sniffle and the cough of a small person. Another door opened as the pat, pat of small feet went into the next room. Interface heard Sarah’s soothing but indistinct words and adult footsteps carrying a small load across the hallway.

  A minute ter, Sarah came to the kitchen and looked through the cabinets. Interface extricated herself and joined Sarah in the kitchen.

  “Everything okay?” Interface asked.

  “Yeah, Tara seems to have picked up a cold, is all. She’ll probably be a little miserable for the rest of the day.” Finding the medicine she was looking for, measured out a small dose. “It’ll probably be ice pops and rest for her today," She said, looking a little bleary-eyed. She fished an ice pop from the freezer and took it and the dose of medicine to Tara’s room.

  “She’s such a good mom," Interface thought to herself. Seeing the time on the clock on the wall, she knew that everyone would be stirring soon, so she put a pot of coffee on and started preparing a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. She handed out a breakfast pte and coffee as everyone woke and went to the dining room table.

  When Jeremy came down the hallway to the kitchen, after checking on Tara and Sarah, he received his breakfast and coffee, then kissed Interface on the cheek in thanks. “You were pretty spectacur st night," he said to Interface. “The things you can do with that tongue…” he smiled and shivered at the thought. “I’m afraid that st night is going to be the end of our ‘sex capades’ for now. Tara usually takes a day to get over a bug and will want to sleep with Mom and Dad tonight," he sighed. “It was fun while it sted. Too bad you can’t stay.”

  “The ferry starts loading early tomorrow and I’m told they keep a very tight schedule. We’ll be back, I promise," Interface said.

  Jeremy sighed again, set his breakfast down, and scooped Interface up in a big hug. “See that you do. Tara will miss her Auntie Inta, and I will too.” He set her down, grabbed his breakfast, and sat down at the table with the others.

  About ten minutes ter, Sarah returned from Tara’s room. “She’s gone back to sleep for now.” Interface handed Sarah her breakfast and received a kiss in payment. “But she’ll be cranky. I’m afraid we won’t be able to see you off.”

  Finishing a sip of coffee, Will replied, “ That’s okay. We can say our goodbyes here, then head out. Thank you for everything, Sarah.”

  Sarah walked around the table, stood behind Will, and hugged him, crossing her arms around his chest. “It should be me thanking you. The four of you have made us all so happy, especially you, Will.” Then she gave him a loving peck on the cheek.

  They finished breakfast, cleaned up, and went to Tara’s room. Peeking in, they saw that she was awake in bed, pying with a couple of her stuffed animals. One by one, they came in, kissed her on the head, and received a little hug around the neck in return. Interface was st, and as she got a hug and a kiss, Tara asked, “We make bench toast again?”

  Interface smiled and replied, “Yes, Sweety. We’ll make bench toast again," Interface kissed her forehead and left her to py with her stuffed animals.

  When Interface returned to the main living space, everyone congregated around the front door, exchanging goodbyes.

  “You take care of yourselves, okay? Tara will be expecting to see her new aunts and uncles sooner rather than ter," Sarah said, hugging everyone.

  Jeremy pulled Will in for a big bear hug. “I owe you so much. If there’s ever anything you need, anything at all, just let me know.”

  “Thanks, Jeremy. I will," Will said, returning the hug.

  With that, they opened the door, stepped into the hallway, and lingered for a moment, warm smiles exchanged back and forth.

  “Be good. Take care," Jeremy and Sarah said, then reluctantly closed the door. With happy faces but slightly heavy hearts, they made their way out of the apartment building to the crosswalk, waiting for the signal to cross over to the tram. Myrtle and Phyllis were there again, talking animatedly about something more discreetly this time, so the group couldn’t hear them, but they could guess the topic.

  They boarded the tram to take them back to the station arm where their slip was located, and when they got off, they headed down the green walkway to their slip. Interface trailed slightly behind everyone else, and as she walked, she noticed Assistant Portmaster Fredericks standing outside another slip preparing for an inspection. She caught his eye, and when she knew he was looking, she gave him a flirty wink, causing him to blush a deep red and drop his clipboard. She smiled as she passed, knowing that he was staring at her ass as she walked away.

  When she boarded the Nestia and the door sealed shut behind her, she went off to help the others with the pre-departure preparations.

  ****

  “I don’t think we can get one delivered and installed before we leave,” Will said to Ben as they made the st preparations to depart. Ben was reviewing the ship’s inventory at one of the stations at the back of the bridge while Will double-checked the transponder’s broadcast frequencies.

  “I might just go mad if I have to eat paste and grano bars for the next two months. I think a fridge and load of groceries is a pretty high priority," Ben said, acting bratty in a joking fashion.

  “There will be plenty of supplies and restaurants on the ferry; Those things are huge. I’m sure you’ll be able to find whatever you’re looking for," June said, joining in on the pyful banter.

  Interface walked onto the bridge, finally free to be as naked as she wanted, smiling at the three.

  “Interface, help me out. Surely the crew ate more than just what the nutritional dispensers produced, right?” Ben asked, pleading.

  “Nope. they only ever ate from the dispensers or me," she said with a smirk.

  “Ah, you’re no help,” Ben said with a fake frown and a chuckle.

  “I’ll tell you what, as soon as we’re settled on the ferry, we can go find an appliance vendor on board and pick up a fridge. I’ll even help you install it," Will said, offering an olive branch for their light-hearted disagreement.

  “Alright, very first thing, though. Then I’ll find some steaks. Mmm, I haven’t had a good steak in forever," Ben said, practically drooling.

  “And what are you going to cook it on?” June asked, with her eyebrow raised.

  Ben realized the fw in his pn and was temporarily defeated, but then retorted, “That settles it. I need to outfit a proper kitchen. A couple of home-cooked meals with Sarah and Jeremy have spoiled me," Ben decred.

  Interface ughed and, smiling, said, “Sure thing, Ben. I’ll help you refit the mess hall to have a proper kitchen. I can probably whip up a decent refrigeration unit while I’m at it.”

  “I knew there was a reason I loved you,” Ben said as he stole a kiss.

  They completed their preparations and retired for the night a couple of hours ter. After some vigorous ‘team building,’ they settled in for the night and fell fast asleep.

  Interface y there among her lovers and marveled at just how lucky she was.

  ****

  “This is Penrose Station Control, we read you Nestia.”

  “We are set to depart for the ‘Dals’, and are prepared for docking cmp release. Requesting permission to leave berth, Control.”

  “Granted, Nestia. Releasing cmps now. Please observe port speeds between the Station and the ferry. Have a safe trip.”

  “Roger, Control. Thanks for the Hospitality.”

  The Nestia's hull shimmered from bright white to reflective silver as the gravity drive engaged. As the ship crept from slip 47A and headed out to rendezvous with the ferry in high orbit, the traffic control officer reached into his jacket, pulled a slim communicator out, and activated it.

  “Hey, this is Jack," He listened to the response.

  “That ship you wanted to keep an eye on, well, it just left heading to the ferry." He paused again.

  “I didn’t see for myself, but the Assistant Portmaster was compining about some silver girl.” Pause.

  “Yeah, my usual fee is fine, thanks. Oh, and Good Hunting.”