Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 08:30:25 -0500
From: Vic James <vicjames2@hotmail.com>
Subject: Beasts Chapter FIfteen

                             Beasts
                          By Vic James
                      vicjames2@hotmail.com
                   Copyright 2013 by Vic James
                     http://www.vicjames.com


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This story is fiction. None of the characters are based on real
people.
You can see a list of my stories at the Nifty Prolific Authors
page by my name.



                             Fifteen
   We took a shower.
   While Digger washed my back, he said. "You said you missed
Alek. How much?"
   I frowned.
   "Thirty?" I said. "No! Thirty-one!"
   He laughed.
   "Thirty-one! That's a lot of missing!"
   I laughed.
   "It is! I only miss my old job two!"
   "Do you still want us to live near each other?" he asked.
"The three of us?"
   "Yes. I told him when I spoke to him earlier that I had
really been excited about living with him at the Innstibble. How
do you feel?"
   "He's my best friend and he's terribly lonely."
   "Oh, Digger! What should we do?"
   "Do you still want him sexually?"
   "I feel guilty about it, but yes, very much."
   "Don't feel guilty. I'm glad you want him. You can make him
happy, and the sex the three of us had was really hot. I miss
it."
   "I'd like to make him happy. I think I'd like him to live
with us, but I don't know if I should say anything if I'm not
sure."
   I sighed as he entered me.
   "We can try it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work," Digger
said. "Did you like it when we were both inside you?"
   "Yes."
   "I did, too. While you were in the tank, I jacked off
frequently watching you drink his spunk. You seemed to enjoy it
so much."
   "I would love to do it, again, just not on public video."
   Digger sighed.
   He sucked on my earlobe before whispering, "What about a
cocktail of both of ours?"
   He wrapped his arm around my dick and began stroking it.
   "Cocktail. I like that. Yes, Digger! I want to do it! I'll
stir it with your cock and then lick the spoon clean."
   "Fuck, baby!"
   I grinned.
   "Would you like it if the three of us slept together every
night?" I asked.
   Digger didn't respond.
   "Is that a silent yes or a silent no?"
   Digger sighed.
   "I don't want to try to convince you one way or the other,
Eric. I don't want you to be pushed into anything that would make
you unhappy."
   "That sounds like a silent yes."
   "Alek feels like he doesn't belong anywhere," Digger said.
"He started to feel like he had a family, and then it was taken
from him. I know you can make us both happy. I am sure of that.
What I'm not sure about is whether making both of us happy would
make you happy. I know you are basically monogamous. Personally,
I don't have a preference. Polygamy has its advantages, too. Sex
can get boring with monogamous couples. That doesn't happen as
often with relationships that aren't monogamous. But I will be
very happy in a monogamous relationship with you."
   His feelings surprise me a little, but I realized they
shouldn't. He owned a sex club, he wasn't raised by a religious
fanatic. Digger was willing to be monogamous for my sake. So it
came down to what I wanted. Unfortunately, I didn't know what I
wanted! I knew I wanted Alek, but how much? And how? As a spouse?
I didn't want to be a temporary spouse. I was sure of that. But
permanent? Maybe! That was as much as I could say.
   "Next time you talk to him, tell him you want to have sex, if
you haven't already."
   "I will."
   I tilted my head back and we kissed. I came while we kissed.
   We dressed and then went and visited my mother.
   "Are you going back to Earth?" Mother asked me.
   I looked at Digger. He was looking at me. I had a feeling the
question was significant. Then I put it together. 'Are you going
back to Earth to get shot, again?' was probably what she meant.
   "I don't want to deal with terrorists, Neos, or otherwise.
Are there options?"
   "The moon," she said.
   "Where the most dangerous Neos live," I added.
   "Are imprisoned. That's important. The prison is on the
opposite side of the moon from the colonies."
   "I would imagine people have been breaking out of prisons
since there were prisons, Mom."
   "There is no traffic between the colonies and the prison. No
transportation of any kind is allowed. Supplies come from Earth,
not the colonies. Long-range land vehicles are no longer allowed
on the moon. If they escape, they will need a spaceship. If they
get one, they aren't going to take it to the lunar colonies.
They'll use it to escape to Earth," she said.
   "Are you and Jib going to live there?" I asked her.
   She sighed.
   "I'm trying to convince him."
   "It's difficult bringing up a baby on the Moon," I said to
her.
   "Are you going to adopt?" she asked.
   "No. Dr. Rosenbloom said I can give birth in this body."
   My mother's mouth fell open.
   "Are you serious?"
   "Yes."
   She shook her head in disbelief.
   "He told me your new body would be enhanced, but that is
quite an enhancement!"
   I nodded.
   She was silent for a moment.
   "If that is true, maybe the moon is not the best place," she
said. "But Loonies do it, after all. I'm going to ask Jeff if a
Beast baby could grow up healthy on the moon."
   She brushed her shoulder-length brown hair out of the way and
touched her meme.
   Mom hated doing her own hair, and I doubted there was a
hairdresser on the station. That proved she loved me!
   I took Digger's hand and held it while we waited.
   While we were waiting, something occurred to me.
   "How safe are Pan and Jock on Earth?"
   "Jock got a very large settlement. They have even better
security than Alek."
   "That's no way to live," I said.
   "It may be the only way to live."
   I sighed. I thought about alternatives. We could find a
private island and buy it. Then I realized we would be cut off,
and unable to escape easily if someone discovered our location.
We could live in a big, secure compound on Earth. A nice prison,
in other words. There was the moon. Long-term low gravity was all
right for adults, but could be damaging to babies without
constant exercise. Mars was cold and bleak. It would be a prison
even more depressing than the one the Neos inhabited on the moon.
There was a space station, like the habitat we were in. It would
be boring, but close to Earth and the moon. Maybe it was best.
Then I realized that Dr. Rosenbloom picked the station to
inhabit. He had already decided it was safest, and he was smarter
and had more knowledge of the dangers we faced than anyone else.
I looked at Digger.
   "Do we have to leave here?"
   "Dr. Rosenbloom said we could stay as long as we like."
   "Permanently?" I asked.
   "I think so. We can ask."
   I nodded.
   Mother spoke.
   "He agrees that it is difficult to raise a healthy, growing
child on the Moon, even a Beast. Without enough exercise
beginning as an infant, a native Loonie can't live anywhere
else."
   "Well, that's that," I said.
   "Do you want to go back to Earth?" she asked me.
   I looked at Digger.
   "We never even spent the night at the Innstibble."
   "I know. Pan and Jock are living there."
   I thought for a moment.
   "I feel like a coward, but I don't want to worry every time I
walk down a sidewalk."
   "You aren't a coward," Digger said.
   Mom nodded.
   "The danger is real, unfortunately," she said. "I never stop
worrying about Jib. The news is just as depressing as it was when
you were shot. There are a lot of angry people with guns-and
worse."
   The floor vibrated.
   "What was that?" I asked.
   "Dr. Rosenbloom's shuttle leaving the station. It is probably
going to pick someone up on Earth," Mother said. "It usually
leaves this time of day."
   "If you are going to have a baby, I don't think I want to
live on the moon," she said. "I will spend my time worrying about
the baby's health, instead of its safety. Jib will be relieved
when I stop asking."
   "I still want to get married there," I said. "And Dr.
Rosenbloom wants me to demonstrate my new body. That reminds me.
Is Dad on the moon?"
   "Yes, he's at the prison."
   "Did they catch both people who shot us? I know they got one
of them."
   "Yes. They are both there, too."
   A chime sounded.
   "Enter," Mother said.
   It was Dr. Rosenbloom.
   "Come in, Doctor."
   "I take it you are discussing where you will live," he said,
tilting his head and focusing one eye on us.
   I nodded.
   "I just heard that there is intelligence suggesting a new
round of attacks on Neos and Beasts by the Humanist Coalition."
   "I've never heard of them."
   He nodded.
   "One of many violent extremist groups."
   Dr. Rosenbloom sighed.
   "I am considering alternative places to live. One possibility
is living on a habitat like this one, but much larger, possibly
in Lagrange point four. Another is starting a new colony on Mars.
Would you have any interest in living there?"
   I wasn't all that keen to live on Mars. It was abandoned,
after all due to its inhospitableness. Of course, the moon was an
even more hostile environment, but it was close to Earth. Still,
I had faith in Dr. Rosenbloom, and I remembered what he said
about Beast 4.0 being able to breathe the Martian atmosphere.
That was only one generation away. I was Beast 3.0, as incredible
as that was to me. If I could live an hour in the vacuum of
space, I could probably take long walks on the surface of Mars
without a space suit. And in fifteen or twenty years, we might be
living on the surface without suits. I looked at Digger.
   "How would you avoid the problems that caused the first
colony to be abandoned?" Digger asked him.
   "The latest generation of nanites I'm testing will keep us
alive, in the event of a catastrophic atmosphere loss on Mars for
about twenty hours."
   Twenty hours without a suit! I could take a very long walk on
the surface, I thought.
   "In addition to recycling the air in our lungs, they can
capture carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere through our
skin and transport it to the lungs where it is converted to
oxygen. Eric can do better than that. One of his lungs can
capture Martian atmosphere directly, while the other remains
sealed and recycles oxygen. None of us will live in terror of an
air leak. If something goes wrong, we will have plenty of time to
get to into suits, or even walk to a vehicle. This generation
will also produce an insulated layer of tissue on the skin for
protection from cold and blocking harmful radiation from the sun.
Unfortunately, the layer looks like scales, currently. We need to
continue working on that."
   "We could walk on the surface without suits!" I said.
   He nodded.
   "That is my intent. I think it will make a difference. I do
not plan to use the original colony site, either. Let me show
you."
   He brought up a hologram. It showed the Martian landscape
zooming by. We flew into Valle Marineris. It was unmistakable.
The motion stopped where one section of canyon wall was covered
with glass.
   "This is the site. You don't have a sense of scale, but it is
quite large. There will be rock above the site, with a view of
the canyon running the length of the colony. Every apartment will
have a view of the canyon. The rock above us will block radiation
and debris from space, and the view will reduce feelings of
claustrophobia. As you may or may not be aware, lichen shrubs
have been planted inside the canyon in several areas near water
ice. This site is close to a large lichen forest. If you can
consider a group of three foot tall bushes a forest." On Mars, it
was! "I think it will be psychologically beneficial to be able to
see life outside the colony site. The fact that the site is
large, will also help."
   I nodded. I agreed. It was the difference between life and
non-life, a significant difference. It was something the moon
would not have. And the lichen might be genetically engineered,
but so was I!
   "And if the glass breaks?" Mother asked.
   "It isn't glass, of course, but a wall will descend and seal
the affected area until it can be repaired."
   "You seem to have already decided on Mars," Mother said to
him.
   He nodded.
   "It is my preference, but without enough colonists, the
colony would not be viable."
   "Why do you prefer it over an orbital habitat?"
   "It would be too close to Earth. Too easy a target."
   Mom nodded her head.
   "There would be lots of traffic to and from Earth and."
   "Oh, I understand completely," she said. "I was just
curious."
   The display changed to the inside of the colony. We looked at
the opposite canyon wall. Looking up, you could see the Martian
sky.
   "I chose a location that allows sunlight to shine in for a
while each day.
   "Would you like us to live there?" I asked Dr. Rosenbloom.
   He stared at me. I started to get uncomfortable. Finally, he
said, "Yes."
   "Then we will," I said.
   I looked at Digger. He nodded.
   "Did you ask that because you thought I was just being
polite?" he asked me.
   "Partly that. But also, you've done so much for us, I would
like to do something to please you," I told him. "I'm very
grateful, and I don't want to worry about terrorists."
   He nodded his head.
   "I may need monetary help setting up the colony," he said to
me.
   "Well, I'm willing to help," I said. "I haven't funneled any
capital into the charitable foundation. Just profit."
   He nodded. Then he turned to Mother.
   "And you, Mrs. Parsons?"
   "I'm going where my grandchildren will be. I just hope I can
convince Jib."
   "If you go, he will join you. However, I plan to ask him to
design and run the colonial water system. I think he will find it
an irresistible offer."
   "I hope so."
   He turned back to us.
   "It will be safe, safer than Earth. And safer than we are
now. We will control who lives there. I have asked Pan to come
here to discuss it. I hope he will accompany us, too. We need a
minimum of two hundred people to establish the colony."
   I thought about Alek, but I had a feeling he would not want
to come with us. That made me sad.
   "I am going to get rid of this body. Harry will be delighted.
It was a great body for living alone in Alaska. It is much less
so here, and on Mars, it will be useless." He turned to me. "How
are you finding your new body?"
   "I love it. Mirrors still startle me, but I will get used to
that."
   He nodded.
   "You can always have cosmetic surgery. You can have your
original face, if you like."
   "If I don't adjust, I will. But I think I will keep this one.
It's a reminder of what has happened."
   Dr. Rosenbloom looked down. I heard him sigh.
   "I am going to be going into a tank soon for my conversion.
Do you wish to conceive soon?"
   "Can he really have children?" my mother asked him.
   "Yes. But he needs a series of hormone injections, first.
Beginning with Beast 3.0, both sexes will be fertile, but males
cannot fertilize themselves."
   "I'm not ready, yet," I decided. "I will wait until you are
out of the box."
   He nodded.
   "Do you think I should wait until the colony site is ready?"
I asked.
   "There is no need for that, although you can wait, if you
wish. I will be contacting my Beasts and offering the chance to
come with us to Mars. If it looks like two hundred are willing to
commit, I will have work on the site begin. It will be built by
robots. I plan to remain conscious for a few hours each day in
the conversion tank. It's not pleasant, but I have too much to do
to be unconscious for eleven months. Eric, are you willing to put
one hundred million into the colony?"
   "I would be willing to give three times that, or more, if it
is needed. What else am I going to do with it? I would much
rather be safe than rich."
   "Thank you." He sighed, and I thought it sounded contented.
   "I will probably go into a conversion tank tomorrow. The plan
right now is for me to be awake from two pm until 6 pm each day,
beginning three days after I go in. Those first three days are
always very painful, and I want to sedated for them."
   I thought of Em. I wondered if she would want to come. I
suddenly began worrying about her.
   "Can we invite people to join us on Mars?" I asked.
   "Who did you have in mind, humans or Beasts?"
   "Beasts."
   "Yes, absolutely. Any Beast who wishes to come is welcome,
although they will have to contribute financially to the colony,
if they are able. Humans will have to be carefully screened."
   I nodded. Very carefully screened, I thought.
   "I don't mean to say I want to exclude humans. In fact, I
would prefer that it not be an exclusively Beast colony. Perhaps
Beasts with human spouses or friends will come," he said.
   He shut the hologram off.
   "Do you wish to return to Earth for anything?" he asked us.
   I thought about it. I had no possessions there, other than
the clothes I'd bought at Dack's and never worn. I could buy
clothes on the moon.
   "I don't," I told him.
   Digger shook his head.
   "Very well."
   He turned to Mother.
   "Do you want to convert? You know the advantages."
   She sighed.
   "I want to discuss it with Eric and Jib before I decide."
   He nodded.
   "Harry or Richard can help you if I'm already in a tank."
   "Thank you."
   He turned and left.
   "Well. That was a surprise!" my mother said.
   "Do you think you can convince Jib?" I asked her.
   "Yes. I'm sure. How can he turn down a job like that?"
   She rubbed her forehead.
   "What was it like, Eric? Did you dream?"
   "No. I wasn't aware that anything had happened."
   "That's what Jeff said. I just.the idea of a queen.it's so."
   She shivered.
   I had no idea what she was talking about. A queen? A queen
what? I looked at Digger. He didn't look confused.
   "What queen?" I asked her.
   "The version of nanites you have assemble a 'queen' out of
themselves. She-as if nanites had sexes-resides in one of your
lungs. She directs the activities of worker nanites. She consists
of linked nanites, with the intelligence of the sum of her
parts."
   That was really strange!
   "How big is it?"
   "Small," Digger said. "About a millimeter across. Rosenbloom
said that the queen formation is really the major enhancement of
this generation of nanites," Digger said. "She, or it realized
what happened when you suddenly found yourself in vacuum. She
directed the other nanites in your body to do what they did: seal
your mouth and nostrils, and begin converting carbon dioxide in
your lungs into free oxygen and carbon. I have a queen, as well.
She decided which of my injuries to heal first when I was shot."
   "When were you in a vacuum?" my mother asked me.
   "Dr. Rosenbloom demonstrated that as one of my body's
capabilities. I was in vacuum and comfortable."
   My mother shook her head.
   "I'm glad I wasn't there. I would have given that man-or
bird-a piece of my mind!" She sighed. "And I owe him so much."
   "He wants me to demonstrate it on the moon's surface, too," I
told her. "He wants to convince people to upgrade their bodies. I
agreed to do it. In fact." I looked at Digger. "Maybe we should
get married in vacuum. I mean outdoors, on the moon."
   Digger grinned.
   "I'm game if you are."
   "I am!"
   He nodded.
   "I think I'll wear a spacesuit to my son's wedding. Won't I
be chic?"
   I laughed.
   We talked about Mars for a while.
   "I suppose I would be better off with a Beast body on Mars,"
she said.
   "You would be safer. I know I would feel better if you had
one," I told her.
   "Would you?"
   "Yes. Not only will you live longer, but you and Jib could
have kids."
   "Hmm. Do you know, that never occurred to me! I'm not sure I
want another child, but it is a colony.  Well, that decides it. I
will go into the box when Jeff does. No. Wait. I don't want to
miss your wedding. I'll go in after that."
   We talked for a while. Then she said she wanted to call Jib.
I was getting horny, anyway.
   "I think I need a nap."
   "Of course," Mother said.
   We left.
   Digger sniffed me and smiled.
   "Once she's a Beast, she'll know you were lying," Digger
said.
   I grinned at him.
   "I will probably still say it. Admitting to my mother that I
want you to fuck me, is not easy."
   He laughed.
   "I understand, completely."
   As we walked, I said to Digger, "If we go to Mars, I will
really miss Alek," I said.
   "We just need to convince him to join us. He needs a purpose
in his life."
   "Don't you think he'll refuse?"
   "I'm sure he will, but eventually, he will give up. We've got
months to convince him. I doubt we will be living there very
soon. Especially with Dr. Rosenbloom in the box."
   We walked into our room. I knelt and pulled Digger's pants
down.
   "You don't seem sleepy."
   "No. I want a drink and a fuck."
   I watched his cock grow erect.
   "I love you. I love you," I said to it.
   He laughed.
   "He loves you just as much."
   "Does he? I look different."
   "Eric, I watched you transform over months. I'm very aware
it's you."
   I nodded.
   "Now, I want to make a request," he said.
   "Sure. What?"
   "I want to watch you suck yourself before you suck me and I
fuck you."
   I grinned at him.
   "Do you like it?"
   "It's very hot. I know how much you like your own jizz now."
   I was embarrassed, but it was true.
   "It doesn't seem like it's my own. It is from that hot guy in
the mirror."
   Digger laughed.
   I got undressed and got on the bed. Digger pulled up a chair
and began stroking himself while I got into position. I decided
to try it sitting up. I bent over and swallowed my cock. I
couldn't get over how flexible my body was. It required no effort
at all to take my cock into my mouth. I began sucking. Out of my
peripheral vision, I could see Digger slowly stroking his cock. I
bobbed my head on my cock. I could taste my precum. It was very
tasty.
   I found myself thinking about Alek again. I was about to get
a mouthful of my own spunk, but I would have much rather had his.
I wondered if we could convince him to go to Mars with us. If he
didn't have a spouse, he probably wouldn't. Digger said he
started to feel like we were a family. That meant he wanted to be
in our family. That was fine with me. But was that enough? Maybe
if he had a baby of his own. Could I give him one? Should I give
him one? The view sucking my cock wasn't all that great. I played
one of his fliks and watched it as I sucked. I decided to call
him.
   "Hello?"
   "Hi, Alek. It's Eric. I'm sucking myself while I watch one of
your fliks."
   "Are you?"
   "Digger's jacking off while he watches me."
   "Fuck! I wish I was there!" he said.
   "We wish you were here, too."
   I groaned as I watched the flik.
   "Did you come?" Alek asked me.
   "No. You just ejaculated all over some lucky guy."
   "Oh, fuck, Eric! Do you want it that badly?"
   Digger reached over and started stroking my shaft while I
sucked on the head.
   "Yes, Alek."
   I moaned again as my own warm semen shot into my mouth.
Digger climbed on the bed. He pressed me down.
   "Alek wants me to give you a drink for him," Digger said to
me.
   Once I was on my back, he straddled me.
   I stroked his cock and said, "What a good idea."
   I began licking the head of his prick as Digger sighed.
   "He really loves your cock, buddy," I heard Alek say to
Digger.
   "I know. He loves yours, too," Digger said.
   I stroked him as I licked. I held his balls with my other
hand.
   "Oh, baby," he murmured.
   "I hate to do it, but I need to let you go," Alek said. "I'm
on a date and it's not going well. I need to dump this guy."
   I laughed.
   "Bye," Digger and I both said.
   I could taste precum. I squeezed some out of his cock and
licked it off the head.
   "Yum!"
   He laughed.
   "I'm very glad you like it. I make it just for you."
   "Oh, thank you!" I said.
   "Make me cum, baby. Have your drink."
   I sucked on his cock and fondled his balls. He sighed.
   "I am so glad you want a lot of sex. I've gone without for so
long."
   I felt bad about that, but it also made me happy, and I was
grateful to him.
   "Aw, fuck!" he said as he came. I gulped down his cream and
began stroking his shaft. He fed me a nice sized load. When he
was done, I backed off him. I watched the slit on the end of his
cock open and a little more semen oozed out. I licked it up.
   He fell onto the bed next to me. I ran my hand over his side.
   "You are so handsome, Digger. I still can't believe you want
me."
   He leaned forward and kissed me. I yawned and we took a nap.
   "Why don't you call Alek, again?" Digger said, when I woke
up.
   I laughed.
   "He may start refusing my calls!"
   "He can take the shuttle with Pan and Jock."
   "OK! Good idea!"
   "This is Alek."
   "Hey, Alek! It's Eric. You know, Digger's boyfriend."
   He laughed.
   "Oh. Him."
   "How is your date?"
   "Over. I dropped him off about an hour ago."
   "Not a cliff, I hope."
   Digger and Alek laughed.
   "It was boring, but not that bad!" Alek said. "Besides, they
are no cliffs around here. I would have to drop him off a
balcony."
   We laughed.
   "The reason I called is that Pan, and probably Jock are
coming up for a visit today or tomorrow. Will you come with
them?"
   "Hmm. I suppose I could."
   "I feel like part of my family is missing with you on Earth,"
I said.
   Digger gave me a thumbs up.
   Alek sighed.
   "I miss both of you very much," he said.
   "We miss you. Can you come up for a visit?"
   "I can. I'm not doing anything right now."
   "Good. Can you make it a permanent visit?"
   Digger laughed.
   "I mean it!" I said.
   "What exactly are you asking? Do you want me to live on the
station?" Alek asked.
   "I want you to live wherever we live," I said. "I want us to
live together. Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. But I think we
should try. We will make sure any bed we get will always hold
three."
   Digger pulled me into his arms and kissed my forehead.
   Alek sighed.
   "Is it a bad idea?" I asked him.
   "A little scary," Alek said. "But not bad. Where are you
going to live?"
   "We can discuss that when you get here."
   "OK."
   "OK, what? OK you'll visit or OK you'll move in with us?"
   "I'm not sure about moving in. I will come up with Pan. I'll
bring enough to stay a while."
   "Good!"
   "I'll call Pan, now."
   "Good."
   I wondered if I should mention Mars. I decided we better
convince him to live with us, first.
   "Bye, Alek," I said. "See you soon."
   "Good bye."
   He disconnected.
   I looked at Digger.
   "You didn't mention Mars. I'm glad."
   I nodded.
   "I decided we better convince him to live with us, first."
   Digger nodded.
   "Are you sure you want him to live with us?"
   "Not one hundred percent, but pretty sure. I'm thinking about
offering to give him a baby to get him to go to Mars with us," I
said. "How do you feel about that?"
   Digger stared at me.
   "I know you like Alek, but that I didn't know you like him
that much. Hmm. If the three of us are living together, you
aren't exactly giving him a baby. The baby will be with his half-
brother or sister, living with us. They will both be our
children."
   I nodded.
   "Do you think it's a bad idea?"
   "If you are willing to do it, I think it's a great idea. I
don't know how he will feel about it, though."
   "It's the only thing I could think of that might convince
him. Has he ever mentioned having kids?"
   "Only in the sense of not ever wanting them. He hates babies.
They don't use toilets."
   I laughed.
   "OK. Not paternal. We'll have to think of something else."
   I stroked Digger's cheek. He smiled at me.
   "I think we should tempt him with a family. He may love it
enough to come to Mars with us."
   I nodded.
   "Enough about Alek. Would you mind fucking me, now?"
   He grinned.
   I frowned.
   "What's wrong?"
   "It just occurred to me. How do Harry and Dr. Rosenbloom.do
it?"
   "Harry fucks him. We've talked about it. Harry doesn't
particularly like the bird body. And by 'doesn't particularly
like', I mean despises." I laughed. "The bones are porous to
reduce weight, which makes them fragile. He has to be very
careful when he just hugs him."
   "He's going to have to do without for a while. Harry, I
mean."
   Digger nodded.
   Digger's expression changed. He tapped his meme. He mouthed,
'Alek'. I nodded.
   While he was talking to Alek, I scooted down on the bed and
swallowed Digger's meat. I began sucking him, again. Then Digger
touched my meme and I was included in their call.
   "Rosenbloom just announced the colony on B-channel," Alek
said.
   "What's B channel?" I asked.
   "Say 'Take me to B channel' to your meme. It's a private
Beast news and announcement channel," Digger said.
   Alex spoke. "Rosenbloom said that he expects conditions on
Earth to deteriorate before they improve. For that reason, he has
decided to leave and make Mars his new home. He said we are all
invited, but will be expected to contribute to building costs, if
we are financially able to do so. Did you two already know?"
   "He told us he was thinking about it. He didn't say he
decided already. I thought he was going to wait to see if anyone
wanted to go. He mentioned needing at least two hundred
colonists. I assumed he would wait until he had enough
commitments."
   "I'm sure he got yesses from everyone he asked," Digger said.
"Half the Beasts on Earth would follow him, if they could."
   "Do you feel any differently about living with us?" Digger
asked him.
   "I know I will be bored out of my mind, but I can't help but
feel that conditions are going to choose me to especially
deteriorate on." I laughed. "If he says he expects them to get
worse, I believe him. I don't like things the way they are."
   "Would that have anything to do with having your home blown
up and then getting assassinated?" I asked him.
   "A little."
   "Bored is better than dead," I said.
   "Yes, that is probably true. I ought to know. I was dead for
a while," Alek said. Then he sighed. "And I'm bored now. Every
time I leave the Innstibble, I worry. So I spend time alone,
here. Boring."
   "Digger said you are getting sucked at the Wild Life."
   "Yeah. And I get to see my security guys roll their eyes
every time I go there."
   Digger and I laughed.
   "I'll make sure a wall in our room has a hole in it to make
you feel at home," Digger said.
   Alek laughed.
   "Bitch! Anyway, I spoke to Pan, already. I am coming up with
Pan and Jock. A few other Beasts are coming with us."
   "I should call Em," I said, looking at Digger.
   He nodded.
   "I'll see you tomorrow," Alek said. "Bye."
   "Bye."
   I immediately called Em.
   "Em, it's Eric."
   "Eric! How are you? When did you get out of the tank?"
   "Yesterday. I'm now a Gorilla. I'm adjusting."
   "That has to be weird, seeing a different face in the
mirror."
   "It is. Em, Digger and I are going to Mars with Dr.
Rosenbloom."
   "Wow! I just heard the announcement."
   "Does the idea appeal to you, at all?"
   "You know, it does. I don't have a job right now. That's your
fault."
   I felt sick.
   "Did you get fired because of me?"
   "No. I quit because of you. The head of my department chewed
me out over a really minor mistake and I had the money you gave
me. I told him to screw himself and quit. He thought I was
joking. Anyway, I got an offer to teach in Vancouver, but I
didn't want to leave Texico. So I'm between jobs. The longer I'm
unemployed, the more I like it."
   I laughed.
   "You are not going to believe this, but Dr. Rosenbloom told
me my new body can gestate a baby."
   "Eric!"
   "I'm a male, too!"
   "Wow! Are you and Digger going to have one?"
   "I think so. At least one, but I'm going to wait until Dr.
Rosenbloom is out of the box."
   "That's just incredible!"
   "I know!"
   She sighed.
   "I've missed you, Eric. Digger gave me status reports, but
it's been a long time for us. How did it feel to you? Were you
aware of time passing?"
   "No. No dreams, nothing."
   "Well, that's best. I can't imagine what a year of nightmares
would be like."
   I nodded.
   "Are you and Digger going to get married?" she asked.
   "Yes, but I'm not sure when. I don't even know if flights
depart from here to the moon.
   "Did anyone you know die from the Neos' nanites?"
   "No. They didn't put them in our water, thank goodness."
   "I'm glad of that, anyway."
   "After the three of you got assassinated, we had Agents on
every street corner, just about. I would imagine that discouraged
them from doing it here."
   We talked for a while. I got to hear her perspective of all
that had happened. I turned to Digger after we disconnected.
   "When should we get married? My mother will be going in the
box soon."
   "We can do it whenever you want. Do you want to invite Alek?"
   "Yes."
   "Let me call your mother, first," Digger said.
   While he was talking to her, I got a call.
   "Eric La Roche?"
   "Yes."
   "Hello, Eric. My name is Marshall Owens. I'm a reporter for
Sunvision. I would like to interview you."
   "Oh?"
   "We would like an exclusive interview, in fact."
   "Why would I give you an exclusive interview?"
   "I'm glad you asked that! The head of Sunvision is a Beast,
Meredith Amberton. Her brother is Harry Amberton, Doctor Jeff
Rosenbloom's partner."
   "Oh. OK."
   "I would like to interview you on the moon, perhaps at your
wedding. Meredith heard it will be quite newsworthy. Have you set
a date?"
   "No. Soon, I hope. We have to arrange transportation to the
moon."
   "I assumed you had your own ship."
   I almost laughed. When? When would I have had time to buy a
ship? I had barely bought underwear!
   "I just regained consciousness yesterday."
   "Oh, yes. Hmm. Will you agree to an interview, and exclusive
coverage of your wedding?"
   "Sure. Yes."
   "Would you like us to pick you up there? My team will be
flying to the moon for the interview. It's on the way."
   I laughed. It was!
   "Will you hold, Marshall?"
   "Certainly."
   "Digger, there is a guy from Sunvision who wants to cover our
wedding and interview me. Do you mind?"
   "No. Dr. Rosenbloom is counting on it."
   "Right. Anyway, he wants to know if we would like them to
pick us up on their way to the moon. They would take us."
   Digger frowned.
   "That's odd, but I don't see what harm it would do."
   "When do you want to get married? I would like it to be
sooner, otherwise, my mother won't be able to attend."
   "Anytime is fine."
   "How about tomorrow or the following day. Alek, Pan, and Jock
will be here."
   "That's fine."
   I called Mom.
   "Mom, we are thinking of getting married tomorrow or the
following day on the moon. Do you want to go?"
   "Of course! I'm glad you are hurrying. I want to get in that
damn box before I lose my nerve."
   I grinned.
   "It's great, Mom. You'll love your new body. If you don't,
you can go back in the box for another year."
   She groaned and I laughed.
   "Talk to you later."
   I disconnected and spoke to Marshall.
   "There could be six of us going to the moon."
   "That won't be a problem. Umh. I won't be able to pay for the
interview, Mr. La Roche."
   "I wasn't expecting it."
   "Normally, exclusive interviews and events are purchased, but
our budget won't allow us to transport your party and pay you."
   "It isn't a problem."
   "Excellent! When do you think you might like to go?"
   "Tomorrow."
   "That will be fine. I will call you once we know our
estimated arrival time at Beasthold."
   "Beasthold? What is that?"
   "That's the name of the habitat. Did no one tell you?"
   "No."
   "I'll be in touch. Thank you, Mr. La Roche."
   "You are welcome. Bye."
   "We are going to the moon tomorrow."
   Digger grinned.
   "You are trying to marry me before I change my mind, aren't
you?"
   "No. Alek will be here. If you refuse, I'll marry him."
   Digger grinned.
   "No one has gotten him anywhere close to an altar."
   "Yes, but they didn't have fathers who tried to kill him!" I
said.
   We both laughed.
   "How about more sex?"
   "That sounds perfect," Digger said.


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