Chapter 16

Father Jacobo Kyushei Tomonaga listened intently. The girl's voice betrayed her confusion and fear.

"I've played with my privates and it felt so good." Cindy could muster little more than a whisper.

"Cindy, did you do this willingly?" The girl's ensuing silence showed an ignorance of the new Catechism of the Milky Way. "Did you touch yourself after being told not to?"

"No, Father."

That response came quick with a dose of honesty. "Have you disobeyed an instruction to not do this?"

"Well, I 'uh, I 'uh like to do this in bed right before I sleep." Her voice hinted she told the truth. "It keeps me up about an extra ten minutes."

"In the new Catechism, masturbation, touching oneself, is acceptable. Self gratification by youth is allowed." A pregnant pause entered the confessional. "Is there anything else you wish to speak to me about?"

He could see she had turned toward the divider screen. "I was happy that a boy I don't like got hurt." She looked down. "I thought it was funny."

"Did you cause the injury?"

"No."

"Could you have prevented the injury?"

She thought a moment. "I saw Louis and the toy." Soft, clear, and concise, she continued. "He was sneaking up to spy on two teenagers fooling around. I thought he was looking at where he stepped." She stopped, cocked her head, and then nodded. "I couldn't see the little plane he stepped on. Part of it stuck in his foot."

Father Tomonaga felt good. He could help Cindy see that she was blameless in the injury. "Did you help him after he was injured?"

"No, Joyce was there. She told everyone what to do. I just watched the five year olds."

"Cindy, was Joyce watching the five-year-olds before the accident?"

"Yes."

"Then by taking over for Joyce, you did help."

"Father, I still feel a bit guilty."

"Cindy, my child, think a moment. At first, did you know he had the plane in his foot, when you first laughed?"

She paused staring blankly. "No, I didn't know till Joyce started giving orders."

He found himself nodding. "I think at first you thought he had just stepped on the toy with no real injury. You saw humor in the action like on a movie." He could see the girl nodding her head, agreeing. "When you learned he was hurt, you felt guilty for finding it funny."

"That's it Father."

He could hear the grin in her words. "I want you to think about the incident. I also think that in the future you need to see if a person is injured before you laugh." He paused to let that sink in. "The boy may very well joke about this later. That is when one can have fun with an accident, when the person hurt is laughing with you."

"I think I understand Father."

"Go with God, my child."

Cindy was the last of his fledgling flock to need him that evening. She took with her a copy of the new Catechism.

Cindy waited with a woman. The woman was dressed conservatively for the ship. She also genuflected upon entering the temporary chapel.

Father Tomonaga extended an open hand. "I am glad you brought Cindy, miss?"

She took his hand lightly. "Salome, Father, I am Salome."

After the shake, he made an inquiry. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I follow the Church of Saint Mark," Salome smiled, breaking the handshake gently.

"I have been given full dispensations, been blessed, and anointed to minister to the Churches founded by Saint Peter, Saint Mark, and Saint Andrew."

Salome had a stunned look. "I did not know."

"Copies of the Documents of Ordination and Charges of Ministry are available for your examination." The voice was definitely an AI's, but female, sprinkled deeply with breathiness, bordering on being sultry. It came from the floor.

"Thank you Lilith." Father Tomonaga smiled. "She can be helpful, at times." That brought a smile to Salome. Cindy looked clueless.

"Thank you Father. I, I honestly will see you again."

After a prayer with Cindy and Salome, he walked the pair to the sanctuary entrance. Once the pod door closed, he made his way to his office area and removed his vestments. One last prayer before the Altar, and then he retired upstairs.

He went straight to the shower. He made the decision to separate his priestly vocation from his new life on the second level. In time, he would merge the two aspects into one. Five minutes later, he came to the table. Sitting in his Boston College robe, he surveyed the room. Naomi brought a brought a pot to the table. Kimi placed plates before the three chairs.

He surveyed the two women he had taken as concubine wives after his selection. They were polar opposites in appearance but both were dedicated to the faith.

"Jake, did you have a good day?" Naomi asked.

Here in the family quarters he had the wives call him Jake. Calling him 'Father' seemed exceptionally wrong on several levels.

"Yes, my Jewish temptress." That produced a snicker. Yes, Naomi had the long classical black hair and dark eyes associated with the name. Her golden skin and perky button nose formed the basis for the pun. Naomi also was a traditional Japanese name meaning "beauty."

"I can see that you are a bit excited."

Looking down at his lap, Kimi winked. "I see somebody is excited." This woman served as the stereotypical bleach blond. Neither had been nuns, both were active in the church and had been abandoned by their husbands in previous pickups.

He pondered the predicament for a moment. The advantages outweighed the negatives. He had one week's experience as a married man. Granted, he had two wives. In this short time span, he better understood the marriage counseling courses he took at Boston College.

There were no set guidelines for this type of parish. He had two primary roles in Wayward. The first mission was obviously to minister to his flock. The second placed him as a resource for keeping the family units strong. As a chaplain for a prison, he understood the value of on-the-job training. Having two wives, this marriage became a pleasurable baptism by fire.

Jake let Naomi and Kimi control their augmentations. The results proved to be very enticing and rewarding. During the process, Jake discovered he was an ass-man. Yes, he did enjoy tits, but he could keep eye contact with a woman during a conversation. Maybe this was something he should forward to the archbishop. He thought about the asses he had seen leave the pod today. Jake realized he could engage in sexual contact to relieve his body's reaction to the recent thoughts.

His world suddenly centered on his prick. Kimi slowly began to suck him in. Having been celibate for ten years, Jake found sexual release as an old friend. After a week of these two, he began to understand the frailties of men better. However, with that gain of insight, women had suddenly become elusive mystery.

Three days ago, when Salome and Cindy suggested naming the AI, Bill figured it would be a simple task doable in thirty minutes or less. After the amount of lobbying by the kids, which included crocodile tears, Bill found the colony planning meetings to be an escape. Ray-ray had suggested they both visit Lieutenant Holloman tonight and let the moms deal with it. That lasted until Leslie declared the new AI name would be Bastard Bill.

Bill narrowed the choices to Higgins and Hobson. Each family member but baby Katy, would cast his or her vote in his study.

The AI agreed to the change, surprising Bill. "Quantitative analysis of the data shows that personification of AIs by humans caused those humans to interact more efficiently with the AI." Hobson won by a rough three to two ratio of the votes cast.

"Hobson, I've finished the project." Joyce placed the hollowed eggplant-party-favor into the hanger.

"The measurements are within the parameters you described." Joyce believed the statement to be a complement. "Could this be replicated using a higher tensile cord?"

Higher tensile momentarily, Joyce thought of Christmas trees. The random thought made her smile. "How much weight does it need to support?"

"At most, the equivalent of fifty pounds." Hobson had converted the measurement to assist Joyce. The ship's AI had observed its cargo of humans. It communicated with Hobson to encourage Joyce to be creative.

"I would like to use a three-eighths inch three strand hemp cord." Looking at her creation, Joyce had an idea. "I could add wood, ceramic, or metallic beads." Spinning the hanging, she noticed a warble. "Could slots be placed in the party-favor to better position the cords?"

"The cord cannot be exposed to the inside of the party-favor." Hobson sounded adamant.

"OK, I was thinking, maybe grooves, or slots. I would want to have the cords stay in place better." She spun the hanging again.

"I understand. Tomorrow there will be an alternate party-favor to use as a trial fit."

In the morning, Joyce felt a tickle on her neck, enough to move her to semi-consciousness. Touching her choker caused her fingers to tingle. That woke her up. Could this be shorting out? The sensation stopped.

"You will have a delivery at the door in ten minutes, Joyce," Hobson whispered. "Two new party favors with the modifications discussed."

Extracting herself from the knot of flesh on the bed took less time than she thought it would. A slight brush of Leslie's nipple caused her to roll left. Tickling the base of Ray-ray's balls let her ease his arm from her hip. That left Bill's feet, which were shooed away by a fingernail dragged along the sole.

Joyce tiptoed to the restroom. On her way out to the main room, she stopped to sneak a peek on the monitor at her girls, Tina and little Katy.

Crossing the floor, Joyce crossed her hands over her head and shook out a yawn. A deep breath later, she entered the kitchen. Pouring herself a glass of orange juice, she waited.

"The delivery is at the door."

Joyce twitched to consciousness. "Hmmmla what?"

"Private Stoddard is waiting at the Pod hatch with the delivery."

"Thank you, Hobson." Joyce moved to the door, her nudity seeming normal to her.

"You are welcome, Joyce."

A light above the door flashed repeatedly. "The bell is on silent."

Joyce gave a thumbs up. Resting her hand on the handle, she waited for the clicks and swooshing sounds of the seal disengaging. Opening the door, she met a man dressed in dark blue coveralls carrying two different 'party favors'.

"These are the items you're expecting." The statement was spoken like a question.

"Yes, Hobson told me they were too large for the pod replicator to produce."

A perplexed look came over the man's face. It wasn't due to the presence of the naked woman. He had hoped for a moment, the sponsor might like to share. Usually they didn't when they were in the honeymoon stage.

The hatch closed. He turned, heading back toward engineering. The mystery remained. Whatever that thing was, it was the first time he had ever seen anything with Darjee markings be fabricated to be other than a ship's component.

Bill finally found an advantage in having his former students as family members: built-in baby sitters. Governor Danvers arranged for a series of getting-to-know-you dinner parties.

Tonight, the official introductions of a new branch of the Civil Service, the Special Products Department, held center stage. The bulk of the colony would belong to or supply this department. Much to Bill's surprise, his adult family garnered an invitation to sit on the right wing of the governor's table.

Bill and Ray-ray remained in the living room. The collective giggles coming from the bedroom confirmed that out here was a much safer place, and surprisingly entertaining.

Anne, Cindy, and Randy sat in front of the big screen; up at the other two game consoles sat two other trios. J-Flight skimmed over the plains of Planet 432X. Bill had difficulty even seeing the detail as the three members of the flight crew devastated the massing Swarm forces. The detail of the AI version of Swarm Attack Airpower appeared too realistic.

<'Hobson,'> Bill called sub vocally.

<'Yes, Bill'>

<'Are they doing well at this game?'>

<'Analysis of the tactics, kill ratio, and other parameters place these three in the eighty-second percentile factoring in age and difficulty level.'>

<'Thank you Hobson.'>

Something tapped his arm. He turned to look at Ray-ray, whose face appeared agape. Ray-ray pointed behind Bill's head. Turning to look, he felt his jaw slack to join Ray-ray's posture.

"Ray-ray," Bill could feel the grin plastering itself on his face, "we're going to sleep in late tomorrow."

"I agree Boss. Do we have to go tonight?"

Bill wanted to stay and plow. "We could ask."

"Please recall that the invitation was handwritten by Governor Danvers."

Hobson was right, of course. Damn the AI.

Bill turned back to the women. Each one wore a similar outfit in shape and cut, yet each dress seemed to individually complement it's wearer.

Bill's eyes studied the deep brown four-inch wide leather belt around Salome's waist. A shimmering bronze silk tube fell down to just above her knees. Another tube flowed upwards around Salome's neck, covering and accentuating her breasts.

She spun slowly. The view of her from behind almost caused Bill to lose control and forget the banquet. The upper silk tube tapered down to ride easily in the cleft of her rump. He could easily see his owner's mark displayed.

Bill didn't remember getting up and walking over to Salome. Being here, he looked her up and down. The bronze blended with her eyes and complemented her skin.

Running his hands under the silk tubes, he found that nothing hindered his access to her breasts. Bill kissed her softly, tweaking a nipple. Following the tubes down, he discovered the back of the belt lined in the silk. If she inhaled, he could slip his hand between the belt and her skin. Removing his hand, he slid his fingers down the belt and then down a silk-covered leg. The faux leather felt real. Reaching under the lower tube, he found only Salome.

He tested the stretchiness of the silk. Salome would be able to slip one leg through, exposing her for easy use. Bill wanted to do that. Bill wanted Ray-ray to help him. He placed a finger under her chin and leaned her face to his.

Her face proved to more stunning than her outfit, framed by her hair, and highlighted with just enough makeup to cause Bill to pause. Kissing her the way he wanted would spoil her look. He kissed her gently. Salome grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him in. Bill succumbed.

Leslie interrupted them with, "Later, baby." Salome pulled away to grab a breath.

Turning to face Leslie and complain, Bill stopped. The deep emerald of her silk drew him in. Tiffany stood in midnight blue, crimson adorned Misty, and Joyce was draped in black sable.

"Tonight," Leslie advised Bill as she stroked his cheek, "give us a chance to work you two into a frenzy.

"Later?" Bill looked at the collected women. "I'm tented now.

Tiffany smirked. "Anticipation is half the battle."

"Maybe we," Ray-ray nudged Bill, "should order up some extra absorbent undies." He shifted his cock to the right in his pants. "I don't want to have any embarrassing wet spots." Both men sheepishly scoped the other before signaling all clear.

Bill and Joyce had name placards placing them next to Governor Danvers. Bill looked at the seated guests facing them. He swore he saw a priest being fed by two women in canary empire gowns.

After the dinner, Danvers tapped her water glass with a spoon, pinging the room for attention. She started the obligatory speech. Hurrah for us, we will be a great community. The usual type of spiel that had been given at functions like this, countless times before. Then the speech took an unexpected turn.

"In our rush to grab artisans from across the Earth, we have what the Kon Tiki's AI thinks might be our first confirmed Wayward exclusive product." Materializing as a floating hologram, the party-favor suspended by Joyce's macramé hanging occupied the center of the room. "What we have here is another example of someone taking some initiative and helping the colony." The area around Joyce began to brighten. "Joyce Jenkins spent the last few days keeping busy doing macramé. The Kon Tiki AI provided her a Zufuhrsamen, a Darjee party-favor for a game." The eggplant flashed, bringing attention to itself. "Joyce's modified plant hanger is projected to be included in our first shipment."

Danvers turned and applauded Joyce. Her example sparked an ovation. Joyce tried to hide.

"Stand and wave!" Misty half shouted.

Bill helped Joyce to her feet. She clutched his near arm; despite the enhancements, he found that her grip hurt. The blush on her cheeks made Bill want to kiss her. Fuck it!

He leaned her back whispering, "Joyce, I do love you." He kissed her softly. "I'm glad you're carrying my baby." When he kissed her again, Joyce grabbed him as if she never wanted to let go. The crowd cheered them on.