Page 17
Chapter 17
Yorix
“N ow if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my Bride. We’re leaving for our wedding tomorrow.”
Mark Judd blinks at me. “Please don’t tell me I pulled you away from your wedding preparations!”
“I was at the shop to select my suit,” I confirmed.
He looked contrite. “I had no idea! I am sorry! That feller simply said he was in charge while you were away. I thought you’d just popped out to lunch or something.” he stood up. “Please accept my profound apologies. I do appreciate you taking the time to explain the tech and agree to be videoed working, after you get back from your honeymoon, naturally.”
“Naturally,” I replied drily.
“It’ll make a huge difference, you’ll see,” he carried on. “Folks will see that even when it’s converted into a replicator recipe, it’s people who make Skippy peanut butter what it is. Human or Mylos, it’s all about people creating good things to eat, from farmer to factory or replicator.” He reached a hand out and I stared at it blankly for a moment before I remembered humans shook hands by way of greeting or sealing a deal, or in thanks. I took it and he gave it a hearty shake. “You’re a very good looking guy, so I’m sure the housewives will all be busting to buy some space made peanut butter when we export some down from here as a limited edition during product kick off. Anyways, please pass my congratulations along to your lady.” He glanced back at Commander Gundar. “Please have your guy contact my office with details so I can send a food hamper to each of their wedding guests.”
“It’s in Hawaii,” Gundar replied.
“Hawaii! I’ll have to make sure it includes some limited edition cans of Spam from our Hawaiian campaign!” With that, he sailed out the door.
“Sorry, we did try to tell him, but he kept talking over us,” Commandr Gundar explained. “We thought you’d refuse and we could remind him of the financial penalties of backing out.”
I hadn’t realized they could do that, but what was done was done.
“I’ll give you an extra two weeks, so you can honeymoon for a full twenty-eight days,” he added.
Now that was a worthwhile offer I was more than happy to take him up on. I decided I would keep the extra two weeks under my hat, an idea already forming on just how to spend them on a worthy surprise gift to my beloved Lynn.
“Could I possibly borrow a long range Scout craft for those two weeks?” I asked.
“Ah, yes, your Lynn is the recent addition to our new Exo Astronomy and Astrophysics studies program, is she not?” he asked, understanding lighting his eyes.
“I’ll leave you two to iron this out,” Milarti said, making his escape.
“Yes. I was thinking I could take her to see one of the newest nebulas, perhaps one with an uninhabited nearby planet or moon with a breathable atmosphere.”
“One without dangerous fauna as well,” Gundar replied, eyes twinkling. “XR-492, perhaps? It’s on the edge of explored space, but fairly quiet. I believe it has a moon with proto vegetation and no animal life as of yet really, beyond some small amphibians and extremely primitive fish. Very large fish at that, so I wouldn't advise swimming or venturing too near a shoreline or embankment. I know about it as Darla spotted a news article about it and had me watch the vid about it.”
“Is there a research station?”
“Not yet, though in the next few cycles, there probably will be. Who knows, perhaps your Lynn will get to be on it and you can go as their food replicator tech.” He smiled. “There is a communications array there though, as well as a satellite recording conditions on the surface, so if you go and require it, assistance will be available.”
I nodded. That sounded perfect. “XR-492 it is then.”
“I’ll have one held for you, prepared for a two week journey. Be aware, even at maximum hyperspeed, it will take you five days each way.”
That was four days we could spend there, more than enough to enjoy the view of the nebula and spend a day or two on the moon.
“Thank you, sir. I will let them know when to send it down in place of the shuttle. I’d like to fly there straight from where we’ll be staying.”
He nodded and I gave him a smart salute before turning on my heel. I felt much better about not being there to help choose my suit, already imagining Lynn’s expression when she realized she was on a solo destination cruise to a newly discovered system in a prettily colored nebula with me. Surely, she would see the romance in that and be extremely happy. Happy enough to want to have us reclaim each other again and again. My cock twitched in response to my thoughts and once in the elevator, I rearranged myself for comfort.